Back with a purpose
After stint with U.S. U-14 team, Turnbow focused on trying to help CV repeat
Life is slowing a bit for Kelsey Turnbow – from frantic to merely hectic.
A year ago, Turnbow spent part of her time playing soccer for the U.S. U-14 National Team and the rest on the varsity squad at Central Valley High School, helping the Bears to a State 4A title and picking up a few individual honors along the way.
Including the Gatorade Washington Girls Soccer Player of the Year. As a freshman.
She was that good, scoring 20 goals despite missing six games while training with the U-14 squad. In her spare time, she managed to earn a 3.94 grade-point average.
“Her skills are amazing, and she’s extremely creative with the ball,” CV coach Andres Monrroy said. “But she’s very humble, likable and keeps working harder and harder.”
This year, most of that work will come at the high school level, thanks to a reduced time commitment in the fall with the U-17 national side; Turnbow will miss just one CV game while she practices at the Olympic Training facility in Chula Vista, California, in hopes of making the roster for the next U-17 World Cup.
For Turnbow, last year’s high school season ended in bittersweet fashion: she had a U-14 commitment during the state finals in Puyallup.
“I was so happy for them, and I wish I had been there to support them,” Turnbow said. “I was so proud of them.”
This year, Turnbow is enjoying the full-time camaraderie of the high school game. “Everyone is working so hard, and it’s so enjoyable – we’re like sisters,” she said.
This year, Turnbow may be called upon for even more goals; the Bears graduated a trio of All-GSL performers from last year, including goalkeeper Jessie Kunz-Pfeiffer, defender Dani Greenwood and forward Savannah Hoekstra. But the cupboard is hardly bare; Monrroy has eight seniors on the roster, the most since he took over eight years ago.
“Last year I challenged them to get even better, and I feel like this year, they have come in better prepared for the season,” Monrroy said.
Defender McKenna Stocker and midfielder Megan Dimmler were both all-league last year and want to go out with another state title.
“We look at this as a completely new season,” Stocker said.