The 2004 Deseret Morning News prep soccer MVPs share many ties. All three led their team to a state championship. All three played in the midfield. And all are familiar with the others' play, considering they competed on the same club team during the prep offseason.
Each, however, brought something unique to the field.
Alta's Katie Larkin, East's Katy Reineke and Park City's Kelly Isleib had the style, personality and game that separated them not only from each other, but made them the class of the state.
Katie Larkin
Larkin is a BYU-bound senior who led her team physically and emotionally.
Alta soccer coach Lee Mitchell gave high praise to his star midfielder.
"She can shoot, she can dribble and pass, and she has all the skills," Mitchell said. "But mostly she leads everyone on the team to be a better soccer player. With her on the field, she makes everyone around her that much better."
Larkin led all classifications with 34 goals in 2004, including six goals in the playoffs. But as a center midfielder, she also distributed the ball. She passed out 24 assists this year.
Larkin is the third MVP in the past six years to come from Alta High, but she will leave the school as its all-time leading scorer. She has amassed 67 career goals to go along with her 44 career assists. But you will not find her taking all the credit.
"My teammates always seem to get me the ball," Larkin said. "I don't think I do anymore out there than anyone else. We did it as a team."
Said Mitchell: "She inspired everyone around her to raise themselves up to her level. She taught the players by her example on the field and at practice. She taught the younger players how to be that much better, so I think that when she moves on, she leaves behind a better team as well. It is kind of a legacy."
Alta won the state title this season despite losing star forward Katie Fellows to injury, and a total of three ambulances had to visit Alta games or practices this year. Mitchell again credits Larkin.
"She kept us together with all of the injuries and adversity we faced," he said. "She just kept us going in the right direction because of the way she played."
Katy Reineke
Although Larkin and Katy Reineke played in different classifications in high school, they could begin a healthy rivalry beginning next year. Reineke has signed to play at the University of Utah.
"Katy is just one of those players that when she steps out on the soccer field she just is the game," said East coach Mike Kernodle. "She is totally in her element."
Reineke led her team with 21 goals and nine assists, but her defining trait may have been her ability to succeed in the most important situations.
"She just seemed to come up big when the game was tight," Kernodle said. "She is a big-moment player."
With the game on the line, more often than not, Reineke stepped up. In two overtime meetings with Woods Cross this season, including the state championship game, Reineke scored a "golden goal" to give her team the win.
Reineke found another way to help the team.
"Katy was kind of goofy at practice," Kernodle said. "She kept the mood light, and we tried to have as good of a time as possible at practice while still keeping it all business when it came to the soccer."
With her career over at East, Reineke said she will take with her lasting memories.
"The friends you make and just representing your school are great," she said. "It was so cool to know that the last thing we did was running out on the field as state champions."
Kelly Isleib
When asked what made Kelly Isleib the MVP of not only her Park City team but of the 3A classification, coach Chip Cook could not explain it with one simple thing.
"Her overall athleticism, her skill, her vision, her leadership and she was just a joy to coach," she said. "Kelly can do things at her age on the soccer field that I just can't imagine."
As a midfielder, Isleib controlled the tempo and distribution for the team. Cook is convinced that her play in the middle resulted in not only a state title but in other teammates making All-State.
"When Kelly was working hard on the field, it made everyone else on the team's level of play that much better," Cook said.
One of the major improvements with Isleib's game this year has been the ability to finish plays on her own.
"She is so unselfish," Cook said. "She would rather pass than shoot. This year she finally started to shoot more for us, and it paid off. With her shot, I would like her to shoot more often."
Isleib finished the year with 17 goals. Six of those came in the playoffs, including two in the quarterfinals against Ogden in one of the best playoff games of the year.
With Isleib leading the way, the Miners averaged six goals a game — tops in the classification.
"Kelly just knew where to go on the field to give herself and her teammates the best possible chance to score," Cook said. "She led us by example."
Honorable mention
CLASS 5A: Kendree Canham, Taylorsville; Haley Hall, Clearfield; Annie Richins, Layton; Katie Fellows, Mary Staples, Nicole Urry, Alta; Megan Richins, Krista Larson, Davis; Danielle Sample, Brighton; Jamie Nay, Hunter; Jena Roberts, Emalee Rogers, Viewmont; Kaylee Whetton, Fremont.
CLASS 4A: Brina Eyre, Payson; Tamika Wilson, Orem; Kim Crosbie, Mountain Crest; Stacy Bartholomew, Timpanogos; Marissa Epperson, Megan Merica, Murray; Tifanny Siddoway, Springville; Chelsi Roberts, Lone Peak; Kelsey Kimball, Timpview; Tifanny Peterson, Box Elder; Amy Strasser, Olympus; Katie Beeton, Woods Cross.
CLASS 3A: Victoria Heagy, Meagan Norris, Rowland Hall; Sandi Gallegos, McKenzie Favero, Ben Lomand; Rebecca Ricks, Snow Canyon; Lindsey Padjen, Juan Diego; Jane Hiatt, Grantsville; Lauren Calton, Shanel Shepard, Ogden; Elva Banford, Tooele; Laurel Peterson, Bear River; Shanae Wilkinson, Morgan.
E-mail: mblack@desnews.com