Soccer laurels keep coming for Jackson of Blue Valley West

Blue Valley West soccer standout Jordan Jackson sealed her high school varsity resume last month when she led the Jaguars to the Kansas 6A state championship, claiming her first state title experience.

But that doesn’t mean she has stopped adding accolades and honors.

This week, Jackson was named the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-American for Kansas – an honor for which she was a finalist last year and one she was hoping to secure this year.

She did it by scoring 25 goals, registering 19 assists and even moving to defense at times when the Jaguars had a lead in a game.

“She was doing it on both ends, basically,” Blue Valley West coach Alex Aiman said. “Whatever it took to win the game for the team.”

For her efforts as a senior, Jackson was also named the Gatorade player of the year in Kansas for a second consecutive season and repeated as the East Kansas League offensive player of the year.

“It’s kind of like mind-blowing,” Jackson said. “When I first started high school, I didn’t think I would have that kind of impact on the game and my team.”

As Aiman said, though, “She was an impact player all four years.”

For the NSCAA All-American honor, a five-person committee voted on 10 nominees (1-10), and Jackson won in a close final tally over Whitney Berry of Goddard. Only one player in Kansas is bestowed the honor each season.

“I think it’s probably the biggest and most prestigious award you can get,” Aiman said. “She’s in really good company.”

Jackson has committed to play soccer in college at the University of Nebraska and hopes to make an immediate impact there, as well.

Rachel Weimer, who helped St. James Academy to its second consecutive 5A-1A state title this year, was third in the All-American voting. Other finalists from Johnson County were Olathe East’s Claire Nicholson (fourth), St. Thomas Aquinas’ Ashley Washburn (fifth), St. James Academy’s Nia Williams (seventh) and De Soto’s Carly Stanley (eighth) and Danielle Price (ninth).

submitted by RYAN YOUNG - 2009-06-23 13:19:01

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