Prep school readies Hollidaysburg grad

Playing two sports and handling a rigorous academic course load at one of the country's top preparatory schools should serve Ashlynn Soellner well in her future career with the United States Naval Academy.

Soellner, a four-year starter with the Hollidaysburg Area High School girls soccer program, spent the past school term playing soccer and basketball for the Peddie School, a top preparatory institution located in Hightstown, N.J.

The self-discipline required to play both sports and successfully keep up with her studies took awhile for Soellner - who began her plebe, or freshman, year, at the United States Naval Academy July 1 - to become accustomed to, but she said the year at the New Jersey boarding school was a great experience for her overall.

"It was very positive, and I think it really prepared me for what the Navy is going to bring to me,'' Soellner, a 2009 Hollidaysburg High School graduate who scored over 100 goals on the soccer field for the Lady Tigers in four seasons, said of her past year at the Peddie School. "It was pretty difficult. I went to classes, I went to practices or games, and then it was right back to studying again. It was hard juggling it all, but I got used to it.''

Soellner scored two goals and had five assists for the Peddie girls soccer program this past season. She was named the team's Most Valuable Player by the school's coaching staff, and also earned All-MAPL (Mid-Atlantic Prep League) and All-State (Prep A) recognition.

Soellner's soccer coach at Peddie, Jennifer Grubb, played soccer professionally for the United States national squad. Grubb had high praise for Soellner's contributions this past season.

"She is the one player that could change the outcome of a game, by commanding the midfield and having a dynamic style of play,'' Grubb said of Soellner. "If there was one player that we could not have survived without [as a team this year], it was Ashlynn."

Soellner, who played varsity girls basketball for two years at Hollidaysburg, also was one of the top reserves for the Peddie School basketball squad this past season. The Peddie team won both the Mid-Atlantic Prep League conference championship and the Class A prep state championship this year, logging a 26-2 overall record.

"All of our starters were Division I-bound athletes, and I was the first or second player off the bench,'' Soellner said. "I decided to play basketball this year to stay in shape for soccer, and the girls on the basketball team were phenomenal and I got along with all of them very well.''

Peddie basketball coach Sean Casey said that Soellner was the ultimate team player.

"Ashlynn is an amazing team player and student-athlete,'' he said. "She joined a veteran team and not only fit in, but made everyone around her better. She was willing to do whatever was needed to help the team, and she displayed the highest level of commitment and service to her teammates.''

Soellner is looking forward to making a similarly significant impact with Navy's Division I women's soccer program.

"I'm actually really, really excited to play for Navy,'' she said. "We have eight or nine [new players] coming in, and from what my coach said, they're pretty good. We're all hoping to make the NCAA tournament and hopefully, put Navy on the board in women's soccer.''