Student-Athlete of the Week: Anna McCarthy

Niwot forward Anna McCarthy didn’t waste any time getting her standout senior season underway. In the Cougars’ 2018 opener against Skyview back on March 8, the third-year varsity forward singlehandedly dominated the Wolverines, scoring two goals within the first ten minutes, and then adding three more to lead her team to an auspicious 6-2 victory.

McCarthy went on to fulfill the promise of that fateful first game, though she didn’t quite match that level of productivity in a single game again. She ended the season with 30 total points, making her not just Niwot’s top scorer, but the sixth-best in the league. She led the Cougars to a 10-5-1 overall record, including a 6-0-1 conference mark, and their second-straight Northern League title. She had five multiple-goal or assist performances on the year, and was instrumental in the team’s 1-0 win over Northridge to clinch a share of the conference championship.

Last month, her standout season culminated with her selection to the Class 4A girls soccer All-State Honorable Mention team by CHSAA, an honor that was well-deserved, according to Niwot head coach Stephen Dimit.

“I thought she had an excellent season,” he wrote of the speedy forward. “She prepared really well for the year, and she was our top attacking threat all season long. Other teams always had to take note of where she was on the field, and that really opened up a lot of opportunities for her teammates as well.”

Not that he was particularly surprised by the burst of productivity from the senior. Before the season began, Dimit predicted she would emerge as his team’s biggest offensive threat after her strong finish the year before.

“I was really impressed with how she prepared over the last 12 months to take over the position of our top scorer,” Dimit wrote. “It showed as she was our top goal scorer and led us in assists. It’s great that she was recognized by coaches in this state for all of her hard work.”

McCarthy, too, was grateful for the acknowledgement.

“I was really honored and thankful to be on the list along with so many other great players,” McCarthy wrote in an email about her inclusion on the All-State teams

Like her coach, McCarthy had high expectations for her senior season, even though it was difficult to adjust to playing without 2017 graduates Maddie Barkow and older sister Charlotte. As for her newfound offensive productivity, McCarthy credited a renewed focus on team chemistry.

“I think the key was learning how to play well with all of my teammates and being able to capitalize on what everyone brought to the table,” she wrote. “After losing so many seniors, building a new team and playing with younger girls was a main focus in our season.”

McCarthy is headed to CU in the fall, where she hopes to play club soccer. However, her time as a Cougar will always have a special place in her heart.

“I will miss the friendships that come from high school athletics and the feeling of competing for your school,” she wrote. “High school soccer was definitely a highlight of my high school experience and i’ll miss it a lot.”