Female kicker from Pekin makes history with commitment to Monmouth College football

Correction: This story has been updated to reflect a current female football player in the NCAA.

Mylee Hansen will be a two-sport college athlete.

The Pekin senior gave her commitment over the weekend to Division III Monmouth College, where she will kick for the football team and play women's soccer.

Hansen is set to become the first female player in Monmouth College football history. NCAA rules prohibit Monmouth football coach Chad Braun or women's soccer coach Lucas Henderson from commenting on Hansen until May 1, 2024.

“I think really it was about the atmosphere and family community,” Hansen said of choosing Monmouth. “Both the football team and soccer team really show their love for each other. … They’re not just like on-the-field friends. They’re friends off the field.

“It’s very exciting. I just want to do what I love and pursue it. They’re giving me an opportunity to do that, so I’m going to take it.”

On Friday, Hansen hit her 101st career extra point in Pekin's 19-7 season-opening victory over Rolling Meadows. The Dragons host Belleville West in Week 2.

Hansen is the first female kicker in Pekin program history. She hit the game-winning PAT against Normal Community in the 2022 Class 7A second-round come-from-behind playoff victory. Video of a tackle she made on a Washington kick returner also made headlines last season.

“I just love playing football,” she said.

In soccer, the 5-foot-5 center-back is an all-Mid-Illini Conference first-team selection. She helped lead the Dragons to a Class 3A regional title match appearance this past spring.

“When I started playing football, I definitely wouldn’t have seen myself playing football in college,” Hansen said. “As I kept going with the sport my junior and senior year, the love just grew. I wanted to pursue it even further.

“… Being able to play soccer, too because I’ve always played soccer and I love soccer. Just being able to do both really is so exciting.”

Currently, there is at least one female player - HaleyVan Voorhis of D3’s Shenandoah University- on an NCAA roster at the three division levels. Vanderbilt kicker Sarah Fuller in 2020 became the first female kicker to score a point in a Power Five football game.

Adam Duvall is a Journal Star sports reporter. Email him at aduvall@pjstar.com. Follow him on Twitter @AdamDuvall.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Female kicker Mylee Hansen of Pekin commits to Monmouth College