By Jeremy McDonald

jeremymcdonald73@gmail.com

AURORA, Ore.– This past Fall was a great way to wrap up a High School soccer career, it was more than North Marion’s Saylor Swanson could have asked for.  Team Captain, First-Team All-State in 4A, Player of the Year and first teamer in the Oregon West Conference and leading scorer for her squad.  All to go with an 4A State Semi-Final appearance, fourth in Swanson’s career, that the Huskies reached before falling to eventual State Champions Marist Catholic.

“It was definitely more than I expected from this season, but it was a great way to end my Senior Year.  It was more than I could’ve asked for,” Swanson said of this past Fall.  “It was more than I could’ve expected, it was great to be in that position this year, to be one of the girls that I had looked up to the past four years and to lead by example that I have been given in the past.  It was just great.”

For Swanson, she was expecting the squad’s final game of the season and this past year, would have been her last year playing the sport she’s loved since she was four-years-old.  That was until she was talking to the Linfield University Coaching staff.  Pointing towards the team feeling like home.

“I feel like I couldn’t give up soccer and that it was worth it to keep playing at this point,” Swanson starts.  “I’m just really excited to keep playing at the next level.  It’s a competition that I never got to play with before and at, and I’m just really excited to continue to sharpen my skill and keep playing the sport that I love from childhood into adulthood.

A 4.0 student at North Marion, Swanson is looking forward to the academic challenges that Linfield has to offer with their high-standard that they have for their students as the Huskie senior is planning to major in Nursing, a challenging field all in itself to get into and succeed at.

“I chose Linfield based on academics.  I had scholarships to other schools and other offers, but Linfield just offered me both the chance to keep up my academics.  To keep being smart and play soccer, and it’s just a challenge that I’m looking forward to,” Swanson describes.  “Especially going into Nursing School, which is my major.  I’m excited for the challenge, I like challenging myself and I’m looking forward to it because Nurses are so needed in the world and I’m just excited in being able to help people to the best that I can and being a part of that next generation.”

Photos By Jeremy McDonald