By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Finishing second at the highest level of Class 6A high school and NCAA Division II soccer is a fine accomplishment, but frankly Washburn University standout Belle Kennedy is sick of it.
Former Washburn Rural soccer star Belle Kennedy is a returning All-MIAA first-team pick for Washburn, which will open its 2024 season at 6 p.m. Thursday at Yager Stadium against Missouri-St. Louis. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
"Incredibly,'' Kennedy said.
Kennedy helped Washburn Rural post a runnerup finish in the 6A state tournament as a freshman. Then, after having the 2020 season cancelled by COVID-19 and finishing third as a junior, the two-time 6A Midfielder of the Year helped lead Rural to another second-place state finish to close out her high school career.
The All-MIAA first-teamer came tantalizingly close to a championship again last fall as a Washburn sophomore, but again the title ended up just out of reach of her and her teammates.
And now, with Davy Phillips' Washburn team returning a wealth of experience from last year's 21-4-1 NCAA Division II runnerup team, Kennedy and her teammates are setting their sights on another run at the crown, beginning their quest with Thursday's 6 p.m. season-opener against Missouri-St. Louis at Yager Stadium.
"I really want our team to be first, no matter what,'' Kennedy said. "That's our hope every single year and even though we don't always get the result that we want, to know how far we came last year is a big accomplishment in itself. But we need to get better this year.
"You're still not satisfied with (second), that is true, but I've come to embrace it and realize that we have two more years left at least in my eligibility to get it done and our team, we have one more year with 11 of our great players that are going to be graduating after this fall, and I think we still have the chance to do it.''
Kennedy, a two-time All-MIAA honoree, has seemingly made a smooth transition to college soccer, but she said it has been an adjustment.
"I think my Rural days were very much kind of like freestyling play, figuring out what works best in each game,'' she said. "Coming here to Washburn we had to learn a specific game plan. We figured out the movements we were doing, we figured out certain passes, and that the whole intention of our game plan and what we're doing is to cause the other team to adjust to our play and stuff like that.
"Our team has been doing really good. We're really proud of how far we've come, but all of our game plan models and everything definitely coming into college you just have to learn to be able to pick up what your coach is teaching you.''
But while a lot has changed, the 5-foot-3 midfielder has continued the aggressive and feisty style of play that has become a trademark of her game.
Kennedy has easily led Washburn in fouls both of her first two college seasons, committing 41 fouls in just 16 games as a freshman and being whistled for 44 infractions a year ago while picking up five yellow cards both seasons.
"My freshman year Davy did finally -- I think after my third yellow -- tell me that there was a specific limit of yellow cards you can get before you get suspended in college,'' Kennedy said. "That was pretty interesting to be talked to that way.''
And although her aggressiveness is probably one of the major reasons Kennedy is able to excel despite being constantly out-sized, she's determined to show a little more restraint this coming season.
"Definitely this junior year I've got to be more mentally focused on, 'Hey, when I'm going in to tackles constantly one after another after another, this is what I'm putting myself in for, a yellow card,' '' Kennedy said. "I'm just going to be a little bit more mindful of when I'm going in to tackles and maybe not go in quite as hard.''
Kennedy has helped Washburn post a 32-10-3 record over her two college seasons and an added bonus for her is that she gets the chance to share that success with a trio of players she's spent much of her career with.
Former Rural teammate Hunter McWilliams is also a junior for the Ichabods while fellow Junior Blue products Mackinly Rohn and Hailey Beck are starting their second season in the WU program.
"It's honesty awesome,'' Kennedy said. "Our personalities and how we interact with each other hasn't changed and it's been the same way since high school, all acting goofy and giddy and joking around with each other.
"It brings me a smile to see them every day.''
