Shelby Stewart And Ian Kennedy – Springfield SC Players of the Year
Springfield SC Players of the Year – Ian Kennedy and Shelby Stewart with Eric Sorlie
Springfield SC announced their Players of the Year for 2009 at their annual banquet last night. With an attendance of well over 500, the club recognized Ian Kennedy (Kickapoo) and Shelby Stewart (Parkview) as their Players of the Year. Chosen for their performance, team impact and sportsmanship, the two join a select group of players who have developed in the program.
Shelby Stewart has signed to play soccer for the Missouri State Bears next Fall. Shelby was featured here early in a report on her signing. Stewart heads into her senior year with the Vikings, where she will be a three year Varsity starter after not playing her freshmen season due to transfer limitations. Stewart scored 25 goals to go along with 11 assists her junior year at Parkview. Her speed and leaping ability are top-tier and will be critical elements in her development as a college player. She just wrapped up the basketball season where she was a starting forward for the Vikings, who lost to District finalists Branson Monday in the first round.
Ian Kennedy has signed to play soccer for the William Jewell Cardinals, a team that is moving from NAIA to Division II in the Fall of 2010, effectively trading Evangel and the HAAC for Drury and the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Joining his former teammate from the two-time State Championship squad, Ryan Squires, Kennedy will likely play a similar role for the Cardinals as he did for SSC. Ian is coming off of the Quarterfinal run the Chiefs made in 2009 where he was the emotional leader that made Kickapoo the top team from the region. He will hone his play this year as a member of the defending MRL Premier Division champions this Spring.
UPDATE: as Prof Richard Garrad notes in the comments, “William Jewell will hopefully be provisionally accepted to Division II during the 2011-12 academic year, and become an active Division II program in 2012-2013″. He’s keeping a closer eye on the program then I since there is another Falcon playing for the Cardinal’s, his daughter Megan. A conversation on Monday with the coaching staff at MO S&T indicated that they are still working on the Fall 2010 schedule because it will include Wm Jewell.
