2023 All-Area Girls' Soccer: Meet the first team

Jun. 11—Members of our 25th News-Gazette All-Area Girls' Soccer first team:

Celia Barkley

Urbana junior midfielder

➜ Why she made the first team: One of just two local athletes chosen to the 2023 Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association all-state team, our Player of the Year helped the Tigers to their first record of .500 or better in 12 years by producing 13 goals and 13 assists for the 12-12-1 Tigers.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... Taylor Swift.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... fruit.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... work as a specialist in a national park.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... science or math.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... Serena Williams.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "Little Fires Everywhere."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Bill Nye, Emma Chamberlain and Tyler, the Creator.

➜ Three items on her bucket list are ... go to Alaska, learn to surf and hike the Appalachian Trail.

Elle Bodznick

Monticello sophomore midfielder

➜ Why she made the first team: Bodznick tied the program's single-season assists record with 14 this year — matching her own mark from last year — on top of scoring 16 goals for the 14-7-3 Sages. She picked up an all-sectional selection from the state coaches' association as well.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... Dominic Fike.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... a protein bar.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... be a pilot.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... history.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... Julie Ertz.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "Bridgerton."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Elvis Presley, Tom Holland and Edvin Ryding.

➜ Three items on her bucket list are ... swim with a dolphin, travel to Europe and try new foods.

Abby Bunting

Mahomet-Seymour senior midfielder

➜ Why she made the first team: Bunting repeats as an All-Area first-teamer for the 13-6-3 Bulldogs, helping them average 3.7 goals scored per match against 1.8 goals allowed per match. Bunting put up six goals and four assists for the area's lone regional champion and was an all-sectional pick.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... Taylor Swift.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... Goldfish.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... be a doctor.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... math.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... Julie Ertz.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "Psych."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Kobe Bryant, Julie Ertz and Caitlin Clark.

➜ Three items on her bucket list are ... skydive in Hawaii, go to the Kentucky Derby and travel Europe.

Addison Finet

Monticello freshman forward

➜ Why she made the first team: Finet nearly established a new program record in her first season with the Sages, banking 30 goals to land one behind the team's all-time single-season lead. She also now shares the single-season assists record with teammate Elle Bodznick after producing 14.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... Morgan Wallen.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... a granola bar and Goldfish.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... be a pediatric physical therapist.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... math.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... Lindsey Horan.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "The Summer I Turned Pretty."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... my best friend, my grandpa and my sister.

➜ Three items on her bucket list are ... go to Greece, play soccer in college and go to Turks and Caicos.

Payton Kaiser

Centennial sophomore midfielder

➜ Why she made the first team: Kaiser has been named the Chargers' most valuable player in both of her first two seasons. She bagged her second All-Big 12 first-team nod and all-sectional appearance this year for a 7-7-4 club, scoring 11 goals and assisting on 10 others.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... SZA.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... granola bars.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... cover soccer for ESPN.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... science.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... Alex Morgan.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "All American."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Lionel Messi, Jill Ellis and Allyson Felix.

➜ Three items on her bucket list are ... go skydiving, go to Hawaii and go snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef.

Mary Katheryn Kluesner

St. Thomas More sophomore midfielder

➜ Why she made the first team: Kluesner made life a little easier for first-year Sabers coach Kip McDaniel by being a force out of the Sabers' midfield. The coaches' association all-sectional pick provided 13 goals and 11 assists for a squad that gained 11 match wins, including one in a regional.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... Morgan Wallen.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... a Jimmy John's country club sandwich on whole wheat, and drinks a liquid IV.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... be an ESPN reporter.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... science.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... Carli Lloyd.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "Criminal Minds."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Kylian Mbappe, Mother Teresa and Adam Sandler.

➜ Three items on her bucket list are ... go to a Morgan Wallen concert, visit Greece and attend a Women's World Cup game.

Allison Nebelsick

Monticello sophomore goalkeeper

➜ Why she made the first team: Nebelsick took over for now-graduated star keeper Emmie German and kept vibes strong in the Sages' net. Nebelsick set a new program record with 13 shutouts, allowing 29 goals across Monticello's 24 matches en route to a coaches' association all-sectional selection.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... Brooks & Dunn.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... nothing; I eat after the games.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... play soccer professionally, then become an athletic trainer for a professional hockey or soccer team.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... food nutrition.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... TJ Oshie.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "NCIS: New Orleans."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Hope Solo, Jesus and Gordon Ramsay.

➜ Three items on her bucket list are ... seeing the Northern Lights, visiting Niagara Falls and visiting Hawaii.

Meg Rossow

Champaign Central senior goalkeeper

➜ Why she made the first team: The future Lindenwood soccer athlete and repeat All-Area first-teamer buoyed the Maroons from the back end as their offense struggled to find its form in the regular season. Two-time team MVP generated seven shutouts and received her third consecutive all-sectional bid.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... Billy Joel.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... not a lot, but I do drink a lot of coffee.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... own my own food truck.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... English.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... Nashla Vega.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "Dance Moms."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Sam Rossow, Gus Rossow and Kitty Rossow (sorry, parents).

➜ Three items on her bucket list are ... beat Charlie Cekander in golf, take the stage for "That's What She Said," and appear on "Mike in the Morning."

Chloe Sikora

Urbana freshman midfielder/forward

➜ Why she made the first team: Sikora didn't look like a newcomer to high school soccer whenever she was on the pitch this spring, generating 16 goals and 13 assists en route to All-Big 12 Conference honorable-mention status, as well as an all-sectional nod from the coaches' association.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... Brent Faiyaz.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... a bag of pretzels.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... be a professional surfer.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... art.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... Cristiano Ronaldo.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "Friends."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Cristiano Ronaldo, Zendaya and Selena Gomez.

➜ Three items on her bucket list are ... go to Italy, see a Manchester United game and see a World Cup game.

Kallie Stutsman

Mahomet-Seymour senior midfielder/defenseman

➜ Why she made the first team: Another standout for the Bulldogs in the middle and back thirds of the field, Stutsman was the area's other state coaches' association all-state selection. She collected three goals and three assists while playing a role in M-S boasting nine defensive shutouts.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... Dolly Parton.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... a protein bar.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... open my own flower shop.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... agriculture/horticulture.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... Julie Ertz.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "Family Feud."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Cody Johnson, Lauren Daigle and Steve Harvey.

Paislee Welge

Mahomet-Seymour freshman forward

➜ Why she made the first team: Similar to Monticello's Addison Finet, Welge immediately made a positive impact offensively for a 13-win Bulldogs squad. She racked up 21 goals and assisted on five others for a club that was shut out just twice all season on its way to a regional championship.

➜ She needs concert tickets to see ... SZA.

➜ Before she competes, she eats ... pickles and chicken nuggets.

➜ In her dream career, she would ... be a marine biologist.

➜ Her favorite subject to study in school is ... biology.

➜ Her favorite athlete is ... Julie Ertz.

➜ Her favorite TV show is ... "Outer Banks."

➜ If she could have dinner with any three people from any time period, she would pick ... Rihanna, Zac Efron and Adam Sandler.

➜ Three items on her bucket list are ... travel the world, skydiving and watch the Olympics.