Get to know MSU freshman MaKayla Waldner.
Know Your Bulldog: MaKayla Waldner
January 24, 2017 | Soccer
Competition is nothing new to freshman soccer player MaKayla Waldner.
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As a true freshman, the Dexter, Mo., native saw the field early and became a mainstay in the Bulldog lineup. She played in all 18 contests with 17 starts, including the season opener. Waldner admits there were some adjustments to the college game for her.
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"The first game was definitely a shock," Waldner said. "I remember walking into the clubhouse and my name being on the board in the starting lineup. After I got out there and started playing, every game got better."
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After that first game, Waldner said she felt at home at the Division-1 level.
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"By the third game, I didn't really pay attention to the fact that I was playing against girls who were three or four years older than me," Waldner said. "It just felt like I was meant to be out there with all the other girls."
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Coming from a family of athletes, Waldner was drawn to a number of sports at an early age starting with track at age four. Her father, Robert, was a three-time All-American selection in wrestling at Chadron State in Nebraska, while her mother, Kim, played college basketball at Chadron State.
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Until the seventh grade, Waldner's goal was to run track collegiately, but she began participating in club soccer because her high school did not have a soccer program and fell in love with the game. The rest, as they say, was history. Waldner began to focus on soccer and track after lettering in track and field, basketball and even football for Dexter High, earning All-Conference Honorable Mention as a kicker in 2014.
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Upon completing her time at MSU and on the soccer field, Waldner wants to put her studies in biomedical engineering to good use and design prosthetics.
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"I want to end up designing prosthetics," Waldner said. "My brother is in the Army and has been deployed before. It makes me think about all of the veterans that come back and have to have amputations. I really just want to help people."
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Waldner finished the season ranking second on the team in minutes played for freshmen at 1,253 for the year, while tying for second on the team in goals after netting a pair.
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Social Media
For more information on the MaKayla Waldner and the Mississippi State soccer program, follow "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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As a true freshman, the Dexter, Mo., native saw the field early and became a mainstay in the Bulldog lineup. She played in all 18 contests with 17 starts, including the season opener. Waldner admits there were some adjustments to the college game for her.
Â
"The first game was definitely a shock," Waldner said. "I remember walking into the clubhouse and my name being on the board in the starting lineup. After I got out there and started playing, every game got better."
Â
After that first game, Waldner said she felt at home at the Division-1 level.
Â
"By the third game, I didn't really pay attention to the fact that I was playing against girls who were three or four years older than me," Waldner said. "It just felt like I was meant to be out there with all the other girls."
Â
Coming from a family of athletes, Waldner was drawn to a number of sports at an early age starting with track at age four. Her father, Robert, was a three-time All-American selection in wrestling at Chadron State in Nebraska, while her mother, Kim, played college basketball at Chadron State.
Â
Until the seventh grade, Waldner's goal was to run track collegiately, but she began participating in club soccer because her high school did not have a soccer program and fell in love with the game. The rest, as they say, was history. Waldner began to focus on soccer and track after lettering in track and field, basketball and even football for Dexter High, earning All-Conference Honorable Mention as a kicker in 2014.
Â
Upon completing her time at MSU and on the soccer field, Waldner wants to put her studies in biomedical engineering to good use and design prosthetics.
Â
"I want to end up designing prosthetics," Waldner said. "My brother is in the Army and has been deployed before. It makes me think about all of the veterans that come back and have to have amputations. I really just want to help people."
Â
Waldner finished the season ranking second on the team in minutes played for freshmen at 1,253 for the year, while tying for second on the team in goals after netting a pair.
Â
Social Media
For more information on the MaKayla Waldner and the Mississippi State soccer program, follow "HailStateSOC" on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
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Players Mentioned
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