Claire Gorno, Kate Mumford represent Gaylord soccer on MIHSSCA All-State list
GAYLORD — As summer rolls on, Gaylord's athletes continue to rake in honors and awards for their play in the 2022 spring season.
Gaylord soccer is no exception, as their leaders continue to receive recognition for their individual accomplishments and their roles in the Blue Devils 11-4-3 record and successful overall season.
The Blue Devils had three honorees on the Big North All-Conference teams, and when the Michigan High School Soccer Coaches Association's All-State teams were announced on Wednesday, June 22, two of those girls saw their names again; sophomore Claire Gorno and senior Kate Mumford joined each other on the Division 2 honorable mention list.
Gorno, the team's starting striker, was a BNC standout in just her second year of high school ball. According to head coach Christopher Adams, Gorno uses her strength, quickness and athleticism to her advantage and is a hard cover because of it. She finished the season as the third-highest goal scorer in the entire conference, finishing with 19 goals along with 6 assists.
"A sign of a player or a good team is when an opposition will change their tactics to try to accommodate or deal with our players," said Adams. "Multiple times this season, multiple teams moved their best players from their best positions onto defense to deal with the threat that has been Claire Gorno this season."
It has been a successful sophomore season for Gorno on and off the field as she was recently named to the MHSAA Student Advisory Council, representing Gaylord and the entire Big North Conference for her junior and senior seasons.
Her ultimate goal is to play collegiate soccer, while she also hopes to make a postseason run with Gaylord in her final two years.
Meanwhile, Mumford wraps up her career at Gaylord with All-State honorable mention honors after another dominant year as the Blue Devils' goalkeeper. Adams believes with confidence Mumford was the best goalkeeper in the Northern Lower Peninsula, and got accustomed to her stealing goals away from her opponents.
"Players have taken shots and peeled off celebrating, their coaches are celebrating, and then Kate just makes a save and everyone just asks 'how?'" said Adams.
Mumford started all 18 games in goal for the Blue Devils, recording five shutouts against Sault St. Marie, Traverse City Central, Potterville, Cadillac and Bay City John Glenn.
Mumford is on her way to Michigan State University, where she hopes to continue her soccer career while going into the medical field. Whatever her next path may be, Adams may be recruiting her back to the Gaylord soccer program if she comes back around home.
"She is going to be such an asset to whatever community she ends up in. I hope it's back in Gaylord, because I am going to steal her as my goalkeeper coach if it is."
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Gaylord's Gorno, Mumford finish as All-State honorable mentions
