It has been about two years since Lauren Rood decided that Stanford was the place for her.
On Wednesday, the Camas senior finally was able to make her commitment official.
A goalkeeper who has represented the United States in age-group international soccer, Rood said it didn’t take long to accept Stanford’s offer.
“Stanford is going to push me athletically and also academically, which is a huge deal to me,” Rood said, noting that her goals include helping Stanford to win a national championship on the field and eventually to become an orthopedic surgeon.
Stanford won the women’s soccer national championship in 2011, has made the final game three times since 2009 and has made seven trips to the national semifinals.
“I cannot wait to be a part of that team and a part of that family. I’m so, so thankful to be going there,” Rood said.
Rood played high school soccer for Camas as a freshman and as a junior. Youth national team commitments kept her from playing for the Papermakers as a sophomore and as a senior.
It was in the middle of her sophomore year that Rood verbally committed to Stanford. She said several colleges contacted her during her freshman year, but that she didn’t hear from Stanford until she was a sophomore.
“I was so happy I was patient and waited for that call,” she said.
A total of four Camas girls signed college soccer letters of intent on Wednesday, the first day Class of a 2016 high school players could sign with college soccer programs. Anyssa DeVera and Fiona Samodurov are both heading to Grand Canyon University, a Western Athletic Conference member in Phoenix. Sarah Yang will attend Chico State, a NCAA Division II program in California.
Hockinson’s Rylee Seekins, who like Rood made her college choice two years ago, is going to the University of Portland. Seekins has recently attended two women’s national team age-group camps.
Taylor Kernion of Skyview is headed to Gonzaga to play women’s soccer.
Camas senior Bennett Lehner signed with the men’s soccer program at the University of Dayton in Ohio. Lehner, a forward, compared Dayton with Camas, in that both are tight-knit communities that support their school teams. He said he clicked with the players and coaches at the Ohio university.
“I just fell in love with it,” Lehner said.
As a junior 2015, Lehner was the 4A Greater St. Helens League offensive MVP and The Columbian’s all-region boys soccer player of the year. He will not play for the Papermakers this spring because he now plays for the Portland Timbers Academy. He said the academy environment will help prepare him for the demands of college.
Other area seniors heading to college women’s soccer programs next season include:
Kaili Brundage of Prairie (Western Oregon), Taylor Germer of Heritage (Evergreen State), Rebecca Harris of Skyview (Concordia ), Nicolle Ohama of Columbia River (Corban University), Alex Sanders of Union (Cal State San Marcos) and Brooke Shirley of Battle Ground (Hamline of Minnesota).
Other area seniors with men’s college soccer in their future include: Jake Gillingham of Skyview, (Pacific University), Brian Murray of Camas (Assumption College in Massachusetts), Christian Thyron of Prairie (Concordia), Kody Ulrich of Mountain View (George Fox), Jackson Voeller of Union (Colorado State Pueblo) and Gabe Weber of Skyview (Seattle Pacific).
