By DAVID WILFONG
CNHI
Rockwall —
Two Rockwall athletes are celebrating a few milestones after a long road trip to Kansas over the weekend.
Sting 95, which includes Rockwall athletes Miranda Larkin and Niki McKnight, bested a field of six teamsvying for the US Youth Soccer national title over the weekend in Overland Park.
The win marks two national titles for the Dallas-based squad, having already won the Elite Club National League’s top spot in the under-15 division.
The preliminary rounds of competition featured high-scoring romps by both Sting 95 and Massachuessetts-based Scorpions Elite.
Sting downed both Beadling out of Pennsylvania and Real Colorado with convincing scores of 7-0.
The Scorpions likewise, topped Dallas Texans 95 (6-3) and JB Marine Wipke of Missouri (2-0).
Sting 95 and Scorpions Elite faced off in the preliminary rounds to a 0-0 tie before finding themselves on opposing sides of the pitch once again in the final game.
Sting players marked the Scorpions most productive scorer, McKenzie Meehan, throughout the game, keeping the Massachusetts standout from chalking up the scoreboard.
Sting 95 forward Madelyn Crabtree took advantage of a deflected shot on goal to knock in a score in the 23rd minute of play.
In the second half the Scorpions threatened to even up the game with a hard shot on goal, but it was deflected off the cross bar and Sting held on to win with the 1-0 advantage.
Larkin, who maintained the goal for Sting 95 in the first half, ended both the game and tournament without allowing a single goal. As a result, Larkin received the Golden Glove award for best goalie in the national tournament.
