Soccer notebook: Kelly Donovan is John Paul's first Division I player

Soccer is a huge part of Kelly Donovan’s life.

A member of the CYA Phoenix Division I squad, the Virginia Alliance (Super Y) girls’ team and the Super Y Olympic Development Program, Donovan devotes numerous hours to a sport she loves.

Soccer will not end after she graduates this spring from John Paul the Great.

It will continue in the fall at American University and next Wednesday, Donovan plans to cement her status as John Paul’s first Division I athlete.

Donovan, who plays outside midfielder/forward, plans to sign her letter-of-intent to AU.

“American was an appealing program because their environmental science program is so good,” Donovan said. “Talking to the coach and being with the team, it [sold] me. I can come home on the weekends and my family can come see me play. It’s a win-win situation.”

Eagles coach David Bucciero emailed Donovan last August after watching her compete during a tournament.

Bucciero invited Donovan on an official visit that included dinner with American’s women’s soccer team, the opportunity to watch practice and hang out with team members.

“They were really accepting of me and excited I was there,” Donovan said. “The whole unified team aspect was very appealing to me.”

Coaches at Division III Virginia Wesleyan sought Donovan’s services. But American was the only school whose coaches showed an interest.

Donovan hopes to use the speed she has built from running up and down the basketball court and field hockey field to make an impact on American’s program.

She is an accomplished flip thrower, a skill Donovan developed as a freshman.

Flip throwing involves executing a front handspring and launching the ball as soon as the handspring is complete.

“I can do it pretty well,” Donovan said.

She also has performed well in her other sports.

Donovan was the All-Area field hockey athlete of the year as a sophomore and junior and a first team selection last fall after scoring 10 goals and dishing out six assists for John Paul the Great.

She was a four-year captain on her field hockey and basketball teams.

OTHER COMMITMENTS

Woodbridge’s Kailyn Slade and Forest Park’s Brice Colcombe will also be signing Wednesday. Slade is headed to Virginia Commonwealth, while Colcombe is headed to George Mason.

An all-Cardinal District forward last spring, Slade was the Vikings’ top offensive threat, scoring 13 goals and adding seven assists. She also had five-game winning goals.

Slade will miss this season with the Vikings. She is still recovering from knee surgery from an injury she incurred in the Vikings’ district final against Forest Park in May.

A defender, Colcombe earned all-Cardinal District and second-team all-Northwest Region honors last season after being the anchor of a unit that posted 11 shutouts in 19 games.

In addition, Woodbridge goalie Jade Woll has committed to play at Lynchburg.

SAPONG EARNS TWO CAPS

Forest Park graduate CJ Sapong saw playing time Wednesday in the U.S. National Team’s 1-0 win over Panama. The MLS Rookie of the Year with Sporting Kansas City, Sapong entered the game in the 76th minute.

Sapong also played Saturday in the U.S.’s 1-0 win over Venezuela. He entered that game in the 74th minute.

Sapong was making his first two appearances ever with the U.S. National Team.

Preseason training has already begun for Sporting Kansas City. The team began practices Monday in Kansas City and leaves for Tucson, Ariz. Sunday.

Sports editor David Fawcett contributed to this report