Gulf Breeze soccer star Rodgers finally becomes a Gator

For Maggie Rodgers, Wednesday was the culmination of determined effort.

The Gulf Breeze High soccer standout finally signed an athletic scholarship with the University of Florida after committing to the school when she was just 15.

"Like I told my mom, this is a dream come true," Rodgers said during a signing ceremony at Gulf Breeze High. "I really had no idea I was going to make it to a big school like Florida and play soccer for them."

Rodgers, 18, joins five other area soccer athletes who also signed letters-of-intent Wednesday to play collegiate soccer.

What made the day more special for Rodgers was watching her teammate and best friend, Kristen Barona, also sign a scholarship with Jacksonville University. The two have grown up together.

"I committed to Florida when I was 15, and the years progressing toward our senior year, I told Kristen I wanted to help her in every way I could," said Rodgers, who requested to sign in tandem with Barona as fitting tribute for their stellar careers. "When she (signed Wednesday) it brought tears to my eyes."

Rodgers and Barona both played crucial roles for the Dolphins this season. Most recently, the pair has helped the team win its 19th consecutive district championship, and in a Region 1-4A quarterfinal against Crawfordville Wakulla, Rodgers scored all four goals in the team's shutout victory. Barona scored Tuesday in the Dolphins' 2-1 win against Panama City Rutherford in a region semifinal.

"I'm really excited," Barona said after the signing ceremony. "(Jacksonville University) is a pretty school, and ever since I visited the campus as a freshman, I knew it was the school I wanted to go to."

Pace soccer stars Alex Pickrell and Jessica Oram also will be moving on to the next level. Oram, a midfielder, will play for the University of South Alabama next year. Pickrell, a forward, will be playing for the University of West Florida, a team that has advanced to the final four of the NCAA Division II national tournament the past two years.

Pickrell's older sister already attends UWF and the two are the first in their family to go to college.

"I've known (UWF coach Joe Bartlinski) since I was 10 because I've been going to his camps," Pickrell said. "He's always been a good coach and has always had a good team — especially now."

Oram and Pickrell helped the Patriots win the school's first district title in more than a decade. Pickrell accounted for 14 points during the regular season and made the winning penalty kick in a 5-4 shootout against Navarre in the district title game. Oram played on a Patriots defense that allowed just eight goals from opponents during the regular season.

Pensacola High senior Courtney Mincy, who is in the International Baccalaureate program at PHS, also signed with UWF on Wednesday. Mincy already is enrolled at UWF and is taking part in spring training with the Argonauts.

"It's really exciting because I've wanted to play there for a long time," Mincy said. "(Bartlinski) is a really nice guy, and he's funny because he talks about (UWF) beating Division I teams like it's no big deal. They've gone to the national tournament the past four years, and I would much rather be a part of a Division II program that goes that far than go to a Division I school that doesn't.

"But I couldn't have done it without my coaches."

Mincy, like all of Wednesday's soccer signees, plays with the Dallas Texans Florida Soccer Club and thanked her coaches Mike LaGalle and David Kemp.

Oram will be joined at South Alabama by Washington's Clarissa Hernandez, who was on the News Journal's All-Area first team as a junior. Hernandez will sign her scholarship with the Jaguars on Friday.

Pine Forest's Dacia Mays will sign a track scholarship with the University of Alabama on Feb. 10.