By FRED KRONER
There are a myriad of stories about how the coronavirus affected high school athletes.
Missed games. Missed seasons. Missed opportunities.
It has generally been viewed as a negative.
For Mahomet-Seymour graduate Delaney Smith, some of the implications were positive.
As a freshman and sophomore in the Bulldogs’ girls’ soccer program, she was far from being the star player.
As a junior, she was athletically inactive. COVID-19 saw to that.
“Reflecting on the full loss of my junior year high school soccer season, I realized I didn’t feel done playing soccer quite yet,” Smith said.
She had her senior season at M-S in the spring of 2021, and made the most of it, earning the respect of her teammates as the choice for the squad’s Sportsmanship Award.
“Playing in college in a way feels like a fourth year of high school,” Smith added.
Looking to the future, Smith doesn’t see soccer in her long-range plans. While selecting a college, she based her choice on the academic advantages.
“Academics always come first to me, so I chose Parkland College to be able to pursue a career in nursing, and deciding to play soccer actually came later,” Smith said.
She will be one of two recent M-S graduates on the Cobras’ 18-player roster. High school teammate Elise Hertling is also playing at Parkland.
The pandemic was tough for Hertling, a transfer student who was in her first school year at M-S during the 2020-21 school year.
“It took its toll on me because I had moved that year to Mahomet and when I started playing soccer, I finally felt like I was fitting in and I found my place,” Hertling said. “I was really happy about it and I was so excited to start playing soccer, and then I remember hearing that we weren’t allowed to practice anymore and we might not have a season and I was just really upset.”
Pre-season practices at Parkland started more than a week ago.
Smith and Hertling share a common trait: Each improved immensely throughout high school.
“When I would step out onto the field as a freshman and a sophomore, my shots were going 10 feet over the goal or off frame,” Hertling said. “I would receive the ball and it would bounce 20 yards away from me. I was constantly on the ground and always being called offsides.
“I think that really created a lack of confidence for myself and I was really hard on myself whenever I messed up, which would make me mess up even more.”
Hertling, a 5-foot-3 striker, experienced a fresh start after transferring to M-S from McCutcheon High School in Lafayette, Ind., but she didn’t make an immediate impact.
She arrived in time for a junior season which was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
It was frustrating for reasons beyond lack of playing time.
“I was considering a few (colleges) here and there,” Hertling said. “There was a school in Minnesota and a school in West Virginia where I was supposed to go for an ID camp, but both were ultimately canceled due to Covid, so I didn’t get the opportunity to go.
“At the time, I didn’t think I would get any offers, so I kind of gave up on playing soccer in college.”
In ultimately settling on Parkland, Hertling and Smith had some of the same reasons.
“I chose Parkland because it was close to home and affordable,” Hertling said. “What ultimately pushed me to decide to play for them is how much the coaches seemed like they wanted to help the players further their careers in soccer after their two years at Parkland, which was really promising for me.”
Smith wound up with letters of acceptance at the majority of the schools where she applied. Despite opportunities at both in-state and out-of-state universities, the local option was most appealing.
“Having access to Parkland College, where I can study from home and be more cost effective, I came around to the idea of staying local,” Smith said. “After receiving my offer in the Nursing Program, there really weren’t any other decisions to explore and I declined all other offers of admission.”
Smith knew where she was going for college before she realized the choice would allow her to continue in sports.
“The Parkland coach came to one of our MSHS games and saw me play,” Smith said. “After meeting with the coach, asking questions about his coaching style and what positions he still needed to fill on his roster, I was offered and accepted a position on the team.”
A choice the 5-foot-10 Smith made two years earlier helped her realize the chance to play in college.
“When I transitioned from MSSC (Mahomet-Seymour Soccer Club) to IFC (Illinois Futbol Club), I consciously made the decision to switch from playing forward to playing mid and defense,” Smith said. “I knew our high school team was heavy up front and if I wanted playing time, I needed to learn a new position.
“Using my club season to do that proved to be worth it and helped me grow as a player.”
Besides a knowledge of various positions, Smith has learned to be flexible.
“One of my strengths in soccer is my ability to adapt to multiple coaching styles, which was developed by recreation and club soccer,” she said. “I also had a different coach every year of high school.
“I very much enjoyed playing club soccer with ladies that didn’t go to Mahomet-Seymour and that also developed me as a player and let me transition between playing different positions.
Being surrounded by talented teammates was both a godsend and a detriment.
“I feel fortunate to have been surrounded by outstanding athletes in high school, which pushed me to be better, but also limited my playing time,” Smith said. “Up until the end of senior year, I didn’t consider (playing in college) as a real possibility.”
As a senior, Smith was one of eight Bulldogs to score at least two goals.
Hertling emerged as an offensive threat for M-S’ 15-3 Apollo Conference champions as a senior in 2021. She netted 13 goals, which was fourth-best on the team.
Like many players, she put in work to improve, but she said that in itself wasn’t solely responsible for her success.
“I like to believe that I’ve come a long way from the player I was my freshman year and I definitely think I have my coaches to thank for that,” Hertling said. “I got really lucky in high school and had amazing coaches who were always willing to meet with me and talk to me about what I needed to work on, and then provide me with the things I needed so I could make those improvements.
“If it was my first touch, it was, ‘Yeah sure, go ahead and take the kick back out before practice.’ If I needed to work on my shots, I was almost always allowed to take a ball bag home with me so I could shoot after practice, and if I just simply wasn’t getting a formation, they would take time out of their day to explain it to me and I really think all of those things are what contributed to my success and improvement.”
Her development was a classic case of recognizing that success was a two-way street.
“Yes, I put in work and sometimes went the extra mile, but if my coaches weren’t willing to tell me what I needed to improve on, I wouldn’t have known what extra mile to go or where to put in work,” Hertling said.
Though she likes soccer and the competition, Hertling also enjoys the social aspect.
“Another reason I love the sport is because that’s where the majority of my closest friends have been made,” she said. “For some of my friends, soccer was the only time I got to see them because we didn’t go to the same school or when we did go to the same school, we never had the same classes, so soccer has always been a time to see my friends as well.”
Smith was also thankful for the coaches who were instrumental in her progress. She now feels prepared to contribute at Parkland.
“I feel like I can add positivity to the team,” Smith said. “I’m not really sure yet what my role is going to be on the team, but (M-S) Coach (Jeremy) Davis one time said that not everyone is going to be the top goal scorer or get the most playing time, but everyone on the team has a role and was brought to the team for a reason.
“I think I can bring determination to my team, though I like to think I am really persistent and when I originally was brought on was because of how persistent I was with him (Parkland coach Dan Vogelsang) giving me a shot, to come watch me play, to meet with me, and he said he liked my drive, and I think I can bring that to the team.”
Smith is a fan of some of her new coach’s policies.
“I especially appreciate Coach Vogelsang’s zero tolerance policy on player drama and his constructive, positive coaching,” she said. “He was confident that the combination of my height and experience in the backfield would be a good fit on the team.
“I know I have to earn my spot on the team, build trust with my teammates and I am working to do that. Regardless of playing time, I will contribute by being supportive and encouraging.”
Hertling is a biology major who hopes to pursue a career in veterinary medicine. Her long-term goal is to work with wildlife rehabilitation and conservation.
Smith hopes to eventually work as a Travel Nurse.
“I am pursuing a degree in nursing so I can become a travel nurse, and in 10 years with applicable hands-on training and experience, I hope I’ll be able to travel to hospitals internationally,” she said. “As a travel nurse I know that I could experience some of life’s worst moments, but I can also be part of some of the best ones, too.”
Her career interests became a passion after a summer spent in Finland through the States’ 4-H International Exchange Program.
“It sparked a love of travel and exploration, and I worked to pair a career with that,” Smith said. “I can’t imagine many things better than helping people and seeing the world.”
Smith has been active in FFA and 4-H and recognizes those who have helped her transform as a person and a soccer player since moving to Mahomet eight years ago.
“I have to thank my coaches, my parents and my teammates through the years for pushing me to be better as a player and a person,” Smith said. “While it isn’t always easy, it is always worth it.”
Hertling and Smith were among six seniors on the 2021 M-S girls’ soccer roster. Five of those players are continuing their careers in college.
Ironically, when Parkland plays its exhibition opener (Sunday, Aug 15) at Eastern Illinois University, a former teammate will be on the opposing side of the field.
Nyah Biegler is playing for the Panthers.
The other recent M-S graduates who will be playing college soccer are Maddison Claybrooke (Franklin College) and Kelsey Jacobs (Millikin).
Smith is anxious to get the games going.
“Already, after just a week and a half of practice, we are coming together as a team and ready to kick off the season,” she said.
Hertling is pleased that one of her former high school teammates is still on her side.
“I think it will be fun to continue playing soccer with Delaney,” Hertling said. “She is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met.”
Parkland’s regular-season opener is scheduled for Saturday (Aug. 21) at home against Mineral Area College.
