Joining the storm

Three hours. Two hundred miles. That’s how how long it takes to travel from Lewisville, Texas to Bethany, Oklahoma. For senior Micaela Owen, it’s a small town she knows all too well. Home to her favorite diner, numerous childhood soccer camps and the school she will soon represent: Southern Nazarene University.

“I grew up going to camps there, my family lives extremely close,” Owen said. “I got a great scholarship and it’s a private Christian school, so it’s everything I could ask for really.”

Even with scouts knocking on her door, Owen has made significant impacts on her teammates and coaches who believe she has led her team to stay focused.

“She’s pushed me to never give up,” senior Alyssa Sage said. “She had big shoes to fill coming into this season and she has really stepped up and proved herself, which has influenced me to keep working so I can be the best I can be, not just for myself, but for my team.”

Despite previously being the backup keeper for Allison Anguiano, Owen has received the attention of scouts as she started this year on varsity.

“All of my family, friends, teammates and coaches,” Owen said. “They’ve always pushed me through hard times when I’ve wanted to quit and celebrated my accomplishments. They really keep me going.”

Owen’s teammates say her work ethic is like no other. Owen always tries to advance her game, which has helped her become a greater player and teammate. She is willing to bring this same type of work ethic to the Crimson Storm next season.

“She has stepped up big in a lot of important games,” assistant coach Taylor Grant said. “I think her work ethic was valued by the other players, which then contributed to her teammates stepping up their level of play.”

Owen’s team values her and her voice. She is a guiding force on the field, always ready to assist her teammates as they encounter their opponents on the field.

“One of her biggest strengths is her voice,” Sage said. “She’s very vocal and states her mind. On the field, it starts with her because she can see everything so we really depend on her voice to lead us and get us shaped up. Same thing in the locker room or half time. She’s not afraid to speak up and say what she sees on field.”

Although she excited to play for the Crimson Storm, Owen will have a bittersweet moment leaving a place she has called home for so long.

“Of course I will miss Lewisville,” Owen said. “I’ve always been a pretty sensitive and sentimental person and leaving here where I’ve grown up for 18 years will be so hard.”

While a margin of athletes value sports over education, Owen sees education as not only a priority but a future career as well. She believes her leadership on the field could translate into the classroom.

“I’ll probably be a teacher right out of college,” Owen said. “I’ve always liked kids and teaching has always been my choice of career since I was little.”