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Athens’ Brannon is 28th recipient of Miss Soccer award

Dan Stickradt | 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