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Athens’ Brannon is 28th recipient of Miss Soccer award

| June 21, 2011 | Comments (2)

TOP HONOR: Troy Athens senior midfielder Olivia Brannon was selected Sunday as the 28th recipient of the annual Miss Soccer award winner, selected by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association. File Photo

BY DAN STICKRADT

SENIOR EDITOR

dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com

TROY — In its storied 30-year history, the Troy Athens soccer program has earned much respect and dozens of noteworthy accolades.

It continued Sunday afternoon with another right honor.

The Red Hawks and retiring coach Tim Storch learned that senior midfielder Olivia Brannon was named the recipient of the 28th annual Miss Soccer Award, given to the state’s top soccer player, as selected by the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association

Brannon is the Red Hawks’ fourth female player at Athens to win the award and sixth overall including Mr. Soccer award winners. Tiffany Laskowski (2001), Stephanie Lusiner (1994), Cindy Wass (1986), Mark Noffert (1984) and Mary Hagan (1981) have also been honored. The four Miss Soccer awards winners at Athens are more than any other school.

Livonia Stevenson and Plymouth Canton have had three years each where they produced the Miss Soccer honoree. Hudsonville Unity Christian, Birmingham Seaholm, Novi and Portage Central have had the Miss Soccer in two years apiece.

This past season, Brannon led the Red Hawks, ranked third entering the postseason, to a stellar 19-3-0 record that included the OAA Red Division championship (9-1-0) and a district title. Athens lost to second-ranked Utica Eisenhower, 3-2, in the Division 1 regional semifinals.

Brannon, a defender in the Novi Jaguars club season, finished the year with 16 goals and eight assists for 40 points. She also was honored as the 2011 Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year last month and signed with the University of Virginia. She is a starter on the Olympic Developmental Program U-18 National Team.

Brannon also earned All-State Dream Team, given to the state’s top 10 field players and goalkeeper, as well as All-State First Team Division 1, All-Region, All-District and All-OAA Red Division.

“Olivia is a special player and person,” said Storch, who is retiring from teaching and coaching at Athens where he has been an icon since 1981. “She’s one of the best we’ve had at Athens and very deserving of this award. She loves the game of soccer.

“The one thing about Olivia is she puts her team first. She cared more about leading our team than awards,” said Storch.”We’ve had quite of few players win Miss Soccer and Mr. Soccer and Olivia ranks right up there with them. She plays for our (U-18) national team and has had an incredible career so far.”

OTHER WINNERS

2011:  Olivia Brannon         Troy Athens

2010   Anne Steinlage        Spring Lake

2009   Paige Webster          Portage Central

2008:  Laura Hayboer         Hudsonville Unity Christian

2007:  Emily Esbrook          Novi

2006:  Laura Hayboer         Hudssonville Unity Christian

2005:  Kristi Timar                Novi

2004:  Meghan Garrity        Birmingham Marian

2003: Megan Pipkens         Holt

2002: Lindsay Tarpley         Portage Central

2001: Tiffany Laskowski     Troy Athens

Anne Morrell             Plymouth Canton

2000: Anne Morrell              Plymouth Canton

1999: Andrea Sied               Livonia Stevenson

1998: Allison Campbell      Livonia Stevenson

1997: Sara Kloosterman     Farmington Harrison

1996: Amber Berendowski Brighton

1995: Heather Brown          Birmingham Seaholm

1994: Stephanie Lusiner    Troy Athens

1993: Carrie Povolaitis        Troy

1992: Kara Nance                Rochester Adams

1991: Regen Coyen                        Livonia Stevenson

1990: Carrie Maier               Farmington

1989: Jenny Russell           Plymouth Canton

1988: Kelly Davis                 Livonia Churchill

1987: Jill Estey                     Plymouth Salem

1986: Cindy Wass               Troy Athens

1985: Annette Ruggiero     Farmington Hills Mercy

1984: Katie Andrea              Birmingham Seaholm

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Category: High School, High School (M-Z), Prep Wraps, Troy Athens

About Dan Stickradt: DAN STICKRADT | SENIOR EDITOR dan.stickradt@northoaklandsports.com View author profile.

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  1. SPRING SPORTS ALL-AREA LINKS 2011:

    Presenting the 2011 All-Area Boys Track & Field Team
    LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/06/all-area-boys-track-field-power-speed-highlight-postseason-squad/
    DIGITAL NEWSPAPER: http://www.northoaklandsports.com
    MORE TRACK: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Track&x=0&y=0
    Presenting the 2011 All-Area Girls Tennis Team:
    LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/10/2011-all-area-girls-tennis-these-players-made-quite-the-racquet/
    MORE TENNIS: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Tennis&x=0&y=0

    Presenting 2011 All-Area Baseball Team:

    LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/12/2011-all-area-baseball-diamond-squad-is-armed-and-lethally-dangerous/

    MORE BASEBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Baseball&x=0&y=0

    Presenting the 2011 All-Area Girls Track Team:
    LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/08/2011-all-area-girls-track-field-team-all-state-athletes-burnt-up-the-grand-oval/
    MORE TRACK: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Track&x=14&y=11

    Presenting the 2011 All-Area Boys Golf Team:
    LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/11/2011-all-area-boys-golf-state-champion-oakland-christian-headlines-top-linkers/
    MORE GOLF: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Golf&x=0&y=0

    Presenting the 2011 All-Area Softball Team
    LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/15/2011-all-area-softball-all-around-talents-heat-up-the-diamond/
    MORE SOFTBALL: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Softball&x=0&y=0

    Presenting the 2011 All-Area Girls Lacrosse Team
    LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/18/2011-all-area-girls-lacrosse-rising-stars-abundant-in-state%E2%80%99s-fastest-growing-sport/
    MORE LACROSSE: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Lacrosse&x=0&y=0

    Presenting the 2011 All-Area Girls Soccer Team

    LINK: http://northoaklandsports.com/2011/07/20/2011-all-area-girls-soccer-highly-touted-players-showcased-on-postseason-squad/

    MORE SOCCER: http://northoaklandsports.com/?s=Soccer&x=14&y=11

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