The Gainesville Lady Leopards varsity soccer team not only had their most successful season to date but they also cleaned up very well at the District 9-4A awards meeting. Eight total district awards were given out plus four honorable mention awards.
In her first year of head coaching, Gainesville coach Heather Medlen was honored with the Coach of the Year award. Medlen led the Lady Leopards to a 13-9 record and a third place finish in district play. This was the first winning season for the girls program and the future looks very bright for this young team.
"I was shocked with the nomination and the win to be honest," coach Medlen said. "I coach with some amazing coaches in this district and to be honored by them is a real accomplishment and honor. Im very happy that the girls hard work was noticed by others outside our community."
Freshman Whitneigh Duffie was awarded First Team All District Forward. Duffie was the leading goal scorer on the team with a total of 26, including 3 hat tricks, and also added 14 total assists. She was an offensive force on the field and worked hard throughout every game, using her speed and skill to push past defenses.
Sophomores Jordan Garcia and Maria Castillo each received Second Team All District Forward awards. Garcia scored 11 goals and had 10 assists and Castillo scored 5 goals and added 7 assists on the year. Both players were very aggressive on the field and helped create numerous scoring opportunities for their team.
Sophomore Marisol Chavez earned her second straight First Team All District Midfielder award. Chavez was the assists leader for the Lady Leopards with 17 and also added 13 goals for the year. She was a dominating presence in the central midfield and controlled the middle of the field by directing her teammates, creating several opportunities to score and putting pressure on the other team to make it difficult to pass through the middle.
Freshman Estephanie Martin earned Second Team All District Midfielder. Martin played outside midfield and provided her team with speed, dangerous crosses and powerful shots. She scored 5 goals on the year and added 5 assists. She was a very aggressive player who worked hard the entire season.
Sophomore Amanda Eddowes was named to the Second Team All District for her tremendous play on defense and provided a great option in the box on corner kicks. Eddowes scored 3 goals and added 4 assists on the year. All 3 goals were scored on corner kicks off her head. She is a very quick player, provides great strength for the defense and uses her head very well.
Senior Paola Vazquez earned her second straight First Team All District Goalkeeper award. Vazquez recorded 67 of her 163 total saves during district play. Her style of play and leadership greatly improved throughout the season and she was a valuable asset to the defense. Vazquez made several key saves to keep her team in winning contention. She also adds 12 shutouts and a goal to her stats.
Four players were honored with the Honorable Mention Award for the season. Seniors Jacqueline Franco, Jamie Hawley, Shelly Reynolds and Freshman Selena Espinosa were those honored with this award. Franco was a center midfielder and scored 1 goal and had 5 assists on the year. Hawley began the season as an outside midfielder but quickly found a new home in the forward position where she scored 2 goals and had 1 assist. Reynolds battled through her leg injury the entire year but never allowed it to slow her down. She had 1 assist on the year. Espinosa played stopper all year, a new position for her, and did very well. She provided the defense with strong play and worked hard all year.
"It was a fantastic year for girls soccer here at GHS and I am very proud of my entire team," Medlen added. "They worked hard all year and their hard work has truly paid off as they were well represented in the district awards. We are already working on goals for next year and look to continue our successful tradition."
