Lady Cats' Sievers signs with ENMU for soccer

Jenna Sievers has played high school soccer in Clovis and Portales, and she'll stay in the area to continue her career in college.

Sievers, a forward, was one of six players signed this week to national letters of intent for next year by Eastern New Mexico University women's soccer coach Todd Padgett. The others are defender Breann Atencio of Albuquerque High; defender/midfielder Chelsey Chandler of Frisco, Texas; forward/defender Grace Tolson of Dallas; midfielder Sydney Lawrence of The Colony, Texas, and defender Tori Hendrickson of Sachse, Texas.

CMI file photo: Tony BullocksClovis High senior Jenna Sievers, left, shown in a 2011 match against Portales at Leon Williams Stadium in Clovis, was one of six players to sign national letters of intent to play soccer next year at Eastern New Mexico University.

Starting in eighth grade, Sievers played for three years at Portales High, coached by her mother, Traci Sievers. She's spent the last two years at Clovis High after Traci Sievers became the Lady Wildcats' head coach.

A three-spot athlete at CHS, Sievers also plans to high jump in track at ENMU. Coming off right knee surgery on Sept. 20 which limited her soccer season to seven games, Sievers said soccer is her favorite sport, although thinks she's probably a better high jumper.

Sievers rejoined the CHS basketball team in mid-December. She's played in 16 games off the bench for the Class 5A top-ranked Lady Wildcats (23-1), averaging around four points, four rebounds, two steals and a block per game.

"Jenna has to be one of the best local athletes in years from the Clovis/Portales area," Padgett said. "She's comfortable out wide or up top, and will provide our attack with greater variety and options moving forward."

Jenna Sievers said she drew some interest in track from Division I schools, but verbally committed to ENMU for soccer last spring.

"If I was going to do soccer (in college), I was going to go to Eastern," she said. "For a while I was (leaning toward) track, just because of my knee injury.

"I really like the coaching staff there, and the girls. And I like what (Padgett has) done in the program."

Traci Sievers said she told her daughter to base her choice on wherever she thought she fit in the best.

"It was pretty much her decision when we were looking at places," Traci Sievers said. "It seemed like every time we looked somewhere else, she always came back to Eastern."

The Zias went 5-13 last season, including 4-10 in the Lone Star Conference, although they did beat LSC champion Midwestern State and soon-to-be Division I Incarnate Word. Padgett believes his recruits will help ENMU become a more athletic, physical team.

"I'm very excited about the 2013 class," he said. "(They) excel both on the field and in the classroom, and will make us a better team moving forward."