By JOE FERRARO Stephens Media ADVERTISING Her interest in space and air travel grew ever since she won a free trip to a space camp in middle school. Katie Case will have a chance to pursue those interests in college,
By JOE FERRARO
Stephens Media
Her interest in space and air travel grew ever since she won a free trip to a space camp in middle school.
Katie Case will have a chance to pursue those interests in college, and on top of that, she’ll get to play the sport she loves so much.
The Hawaii Prep senior, who helped lead the Ka Makani to a runner-up finish at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association Division II tournament two weeks ago, has committed to play women’s soccer at Air Force.
Air Force offers cadets 100 percent tuition assistance for college courses taken during off-duty hours — a big reason why Case chose Air Force over UC-Davis (Davis, Calif.) and Rollins College (Winter Park, Fla.).
“It came down to how much they take care of me and how much they can provide me,” Case said.
Case verbally committed to Air Force women’s soccer coach Larry Friend last Wednesday. During her junior year at HPA, she expressed her interest in joining the Falcons via email, and she showcased her skills for Air Force while playing for Oahu-based club team 94 Premier in January 2011 at a club tournament in Phoenix and again last summer at a club tournament in Texas.
Air Force tabbed her as one of its blue-chip prospects in September.
“They really liked my work ethic and my field vision and how much I see the field,” Case said.
That work ethic, HPA girls soccer coach Steve Perry said, stood out during Case’s sophomore season, when the midfielder tore an ACL in January 2009.
Rehabilitation for ACL injuries normally takes between six and eight months — but not for Case.
“She had surgery in early March, and she was back in volleyball in August and September, which is really remarkable,” Perry said.
Case started in each of her four seasons at HPA, fueling the Ka Makani’s possession game in the midfield and scoring 32 career goals.
This season, the senior helped the Ka Makani to its third consecutive Big Island Interscholastic Federation Division II title before HPA suffered a 1-0 loss to Mid-Pacific in the state final.
“She’s been everything to the program the last four years,” Perry said. “Not just her skill, but then her work ethic, her competitive drive, and her leadership, especially for these last two years, will be sorely missed.”
Case might miss her high school soccer days just as much.
“It’s been really fun,” said Case, who carries a 4.59 GPA at HPA. “I’ve really enjoyed it. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
“We created this entirely different way of playing. I really miss soccer so much.”
Now she’ll turn her attention to a college career in Colorado Springs, Colo., where she’ll consider astronomy and physics as majors.
Competing in the seven-team Mountain West Conference, a young Air Force team went 6-10-3 overall last fall and 1-5 in league play, finishing last in the league.
But Case said the Falcons weren’t necessarily overmatched throughout the season, as evidenced by the team’s six one-goal losses.
“In the future we can do something,” Case said. “I want to win the Mountain West. I know it might be a longshot, but that’s what I want to do.”
