Ella Betzold

Photo by: Lauren Verellen '26 - @laurenverellen_photography

Position:
Forward
Height:
5-3
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Essexville, Mich.
High School:
Garber

2024: Played in all 18 matches, two starts … started in collegiate debut at Kentucky (Aug. 15) … scored first collegiate goal at Eastern Michigan (Sept. 19) … first true freshman to score for CMU since 2021 (Lauren Walker) … recorded first SOG at Texas (Sept. 1) … season-high 56 minutes against Green Bay (Sept. 8) … played 30-plus minutes in 12 of 16 reserve appearances

High School: Graduated eighth in her class from Garber High School in 2024 … three-time all-state selection (second team: 2024; third team: 2023, 2022) … three-year all-region honoree, four-year all-district and all-conference … won a pair of district championships … earned eight varsity letters in total (four in soccer, three in basketball, one in cross country) … was a member of the student council

Club: Lifelong member of the Bay Area Soccer Association, almost entirely in the organization’s Premier League … won four Premier Championships

Personal: Daughter of Brent ’97, M’00 and Heather ’99 Betzold … has two siblings: older sister, Teagan; younger brother Seth … sister, Teagan, joined CMU Soccer as a transfer ahead of the 2023 season … father, Brent, competed for CMU Cross Country and Track & Field (1993-95) and is a two-time graduate of CMU … mother, Heather, also graduated from Central Michigan University in 1999 … has to “wear the same hairstyle, outfit, etc. for every game.” … plans to pursue a career in radiology

Why CMU?: “I chose to go to CMU because of the athletic program as well as the academic programs. I was already considering CMU because we grew up knowing the university and it was the perfect-sized campus and distance from home. Being able to get an athletic scholarship was the final push I needed because CMU has what I wanted academically, as well as everything else.”