For the week of April 16 - 22, 2003

Excellence afield

Five local soccer players named
to Olympic Development teams

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By JODY ZARKOS
Express Staff Writer

The Wood River Valley is finally catching up to the rest of the state on the soccer pitch.

Not to say we have been lagging in prep play. The Wood River High School girls and boys teams have won a combined four state championships* and the Community School boys are state champs four times over.

12-year old Aly Segen is one of five players from the Wood River Valley recently named to Idaho Olympic Development soccer teams

But during the club season, when the rest of the state is enjoying spring-like conditions, the Valley is normally still blanketed in winter, giving players from other regions a head start on their season.

Well, the gap has narrowed. For the first time ever, five players from the Sawtooth United Football Club have made Olympic Development teams.

The quintet competed at district tryouts in March, and then advanced to a three-day camp staged in Boise, April 4-6.

In the boys’ division, Chase Cleveland, a junior midfielder for Wood River and member of SUFC’s U-18 team, is now a member of the 1986 ODP team by virtue of a superb tryout.

Wood River Middle School player and SUFC U-14 standout Cory Rutkwoski was named to the 1989 ODP squad with excellent play during camp.

Community School freshman Audie McCann, who scored 12 goals for the Cutthroats in his rookie season, was named to the 1987 team pool and has an excellent chance of making the competitive squad in a few weeks, according to Mark Gasenica of Sawtooth United.

The Sawtooth United U-14 girls’ team was very well represented by a pair of players.

12-year old Aly Segen, also a member of the WRMS 7^th grade team, had a "fantastic, hard-fought tryout," according to Gasenica and was rewarded with a berth on the 1989 ODP squad.

Kaitlin Gasenica was named as first alternate and a team pool player for the 1988 squad.

Past Sawtooth United players to qualify for ODP teams are midfielder Josh Sonneland and goalie Charlie Askew.

"All players competed against players who play soccer year-round in Boise and throughout Idaho. They are special athletes who were evaluated not only for their on-field skills and gamesmanship, but also their off-field personalities and attitudes," Gasenica remarked.

*The Avalanche Soccer Club based in Hailey won state championships in 1983 and 1984.

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