The girls soccer schedule is light this week as many teams across the state are taking time off for spring break. That makes it a good time to catch up with several recent AJC state players of the year and how they are faring in their post-high school careers.
*Jennifer Westendorf (Grayson, 2014 and 2015): Westendorf was the player of the year as a sophomore and a junior and then graduated early from Grayson. She led the Rams (20-3) to the state championship last season, finishing with 40 goals and 16 assists. She recently was a starting forward for Brazil’s Under-20 women’s national team that secured a spot in the 2016 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. Westendorf enrolled at Notre Dame in January and will be a freshman in the fall season.
*Rachel Garcia (Greater Atlanta Christian, 2013): Garcia scored 53 goals and added 19 assists in her senior season at GAC, leading the Spartans to a Class AA runner-up finish, and had 146 goals and 45 career assists for a team that made three consecutive appearances in the state championship game. She spent two seasons at the University of Georgia, scoring eight goals and adding 11 assists in 39 career games. Garcia transferred to Harvard before the 2015 season and was named an All-Ivy League honorable mention. She had three goals and two assists in 17 games.
*Emily Sonnett (Fellowship Christian, 2012): Sonnett was named the espnW national player of the year in the fall after leading the University of Virginia to the NCAA quarterfinals. The defender/midfielder finished with three goals and an assist for a team that went 19-1-3 and entered the NCAA tournament ranked No. 1 in the nation. She scored 113 goals during her high school career, including 25 (with 13 assists) as a senior when Fellowship Christian finished as the Class A runner-up. Sonnett was selected No. 1 overall by the Portland Thorns FC in the National Women’s Soccer League draft in January.
*Brittney Reed (Harrison, 2011): Reed was the best defensive player as a junior on the state’s best defensive team in 2011, when Harrison allowed just five goals and won the state championship with a 20-0 record. She played her senior season at Venice High School in Florida and then signed with the University of Florida. After not appearing in a match during her freshman season, she transferred to Kennesaw State and will be a redshirt senior in the fall. In 40 career games played at Kennesaw State, she has 10 goals and six assists, including six goals in the Owls’ 12-0 victory over Alabama A&M in the opener last season.
