Tracy Koesel Riverside Year: Junior Sport: Soccer Position: Midfielder

The way Tracy Koesel sees it, Riverside’s split from Deer Park caused less of a stir than its split from the Frontier League.

During Koesel’s first two years of prep soccer, she played in the Frontier League with Deer Park/Riverside. State reclassification sent both schools to the Great Northern League this year, splitting the DP/R gang and ending league matches against solid Frontier teams Cheney, West Valley and East Valley.

“Riverside was excited to gets its own team because the (DP/R) varsity last year was mainly Riverside,” said Koesel, a midfielder.

But the lack of competition against Frontier teams concerns Koesel. After Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Pullman to break a first-place tie, Riverside has outscored GNL rivals 47-0.

Koesel has scored 10 goals, one behind teammate Larissa Mueller for the league lead.

Koesel, a soccer player since kindergarten, also plays for the successful Rams basketball team. Her tastes become more eclectic in the spring, when she dedicates time to pole vaulting. Koesel vaulted 9 feet, 4 inches and placed second last July in a national competition in Louisiana.

The event isn’t sanctioned for girls in Washington, but Koesel and others are pushing for it.

“I don’t play club soccer anymore because it’s during the track season,” Koesel said. , DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo