ALL IOWA SPORTS AWARDS

Introducing the Des Moines Register's 2019 All-Iowa girls' soccer team

Dargan Southard
The Des Moines Register

Another girls' soccer season is winding down, and this one is no different than before. There is an abundance of talent spread throughout the state of Iowa.

With that in mind, the Des Moines Register is set to reveal its All-Iowa girls' soccer team for the 2019 season. The 11-player Elite team also features athletes from all class sizes. All-class teams are included as well. 

These teams were selected based on in-season production, team success and recruiting prowess. We consulted coaches and experts, and had discussions among the Des Moines Register and Iowa City Press-Citizen staff writers.

All athletes listed are invited to the Des Moines Register’s All-Iowa Sports Awards on June 21 in Des Moines.

Elite Team

Davenport Assumption's Carly King (9) chases after the ball as Center Point-Urbana's Raegan Dufoe slides for it during the girls' Class 1A state soccer semifinals at the Cownie Soccer Complex in Des Moines on June 8, 2018. Assumption beat Center Point-Urbana 5-1 to advance to the finals.

Forward: Carly King, sr., Davenport Assumption  

Track may be King's future, but the Assumption standout dominates on the pitch as well. Her 33 goals through 15 games ranks second in Class 1A and fourth in the state. King's offensive prowess has Assumption atop IGHSAU's final 1A rankings.

Carlisle freshman Madi Watts sends the ball toward the Indianola end past Indianola junior Faith Evans. Carlisle won 3-0 at Indianola on May 4.

Forward: Madi Watts, fr., Carlisle 

Watts has made a tremendous impact in her first high school season. Through 15 games, she ranks third in goals (34) and second in assists (19) across all classes. 

Waverly-Shell Rock's Kenzie Roling has developed into one of the best forwards in the state.

Forward: Kenzie Roling, soph., Waverly-Shell Rock  

Roling has developed into one of the best forwards in the state. The Iowa commit has racked up 32 goals and six assists through 15 games. She's been the catalyst for Waverly-Shell Rock, which ranked second in IGHSAU's final Class 2A rankings. 

Unity Christian's Jori Bronner (left) has been a force all season. She currently leads the state with 42 goals through 18 games.

Forward: Jori Bronner, sr., Unity Christian 

Bronner is off to college as a Dordt University volleyball signee, but her soccer prowess is just as potent. Through 18 games, she leads the state with 42 goals. 

Pella's Grace Held (19) chases down the ball during the girls' Class 2A state soccer semifinals at the Cownie Soccer Complex on June 8, 2018.

Forward/Midfielder: Grace Held, sr., Pella

The Sioux Falls signee will go down as one of the best players in Pella history. Held, who scored her 100th career goal late last month, ranks second in the state with 35 goals through 16 games. Held is a big reason why Pella has a chance to return to the state tournament.

Ames sophomore Melina Hegelheimer pays attention to the ball as it lands near her against Iowa City West on Friday, June 9, during the 2017 Iowa high school girls state soccer tournament in Des Moines.

Midfielder: Melina Hegelheimer, sr., Ames

After winning Gatorade player of the year honors in 2018, Hegelheimer has kept it going this season. The Iowa signee is a monumental reason why Ames finished inside the top 15 in IGHSAU's final 3A rankings.  

Abigail Santana is a two-time All-Iowa Elite team selection.

Midfielder: Abigail Santana, jr., Linn-Mar

The lone returner from last year's Elite team, Santana is a driving force behind Linn-Mar's 17-1 start. The Creighton commit has 14 goals and nine assists through 18 games.  

Gilbert's Eva Steckelberg and Heelan's Dayle Bleeker chase the ball during the Class 1A girls' state soccer quarterfinal match between Gilbert and Sioux City Heelan on Thursday, June 7, 2018, at the Cownie Soccer Park in Des Moines.

Midfielder/Defender: Eva Steckelberg, sr., Gilbert

Gilbert has raced out to a 16-0 start — and Steckelberg is a huge reason why. The Iowa State signee, who was added to the Cyclones' 2019 class earlier this week, has 21 goals and 14 assists through 15 games.   

Ankeny Centennial's Allie Wyckoff battles for the ball with Valley's Jadyn Loecke (No. 18) during the Class 3A semifinals of the girls' state soccer tournament on Friday at Cownie Soccer Park. The Jaguars lost, 1-0.

Defender: Allie Wyckoff, sr., Ankeny Centennial

The Iowa State signee has helped lock down Ankeny Centennial's back line. The Jaguars, at 14-3 and ranked fourth in IGHSAU's final Class 3A rankings, have surrendered only five goals all season.  

Bettendorf standout and Northern Illinois signee Allison Whitaker is one of the state's best defenders.

Defender: Allison Whitaker, sr., Bettendorf

The Northern Illinois signee from out east has been a pivotal cog in Bettendorf's strong year. Backed by Whitaker's lockdown defense, the Bulldogs were ranked eighth in IGHSAU's final Class 3A rankings. 

Rachel Vander Hart has morphed into one of the state's fiercest goalies.

Keeper: Rachel Vander Hart, sr., Urbandale 

The Iowa State signee has racked up 118 saves through 17 games. Her 84.3 save percentage ranks third-best in Class 3A among keepers with at least 1,300 minutes played this season.

Class 3A

Allie Williams, sr., Waukee

Vanessa Perez, sr., Des Moines North

Abbey Van Wyngarden, sr., W.D.M. Valley

Abigail Santana, jr., Linn-Mar

Melina Hegelheimer, sr., Ames

Sam Schroder, sr., Iowa City High

Olivia Thoen, sr., Ames

Olivia Wee, sr., Ankeny Centennial

Allie Wyckoff, sr., Ankeny Centennial

Allison Whitaker, sr., Bettendorf 

Rachel Vander Hart, sr., Urbandale  

Class 2A

Mia Frank, soph., Spencer

Maia Bentley, fr., Mount Vernon

Kenzie Roling, soph., Waverly-Shell Rock 

Grace Held, sr., Pella

Grace Coates, soph., Marion 

Naomi Smith, sr., Marion

Alex Mohr, sr., Denison-Schleswig

Lauren Riggle, soph., Clear Creek-Amana

Ashlyn Watt, soph., ADM

Rylie Rucker, sr., North Scott

Olivia Pacha, jr., Washington 

Class 1A

Carly King, sr., Davenport Assumption  

Jori Bronner, sr., Unity Christian 

Alyssa Kellar, soph., Treynor 

Alexis Kellar, sr., Treynor

Emma De Costa, sr., Bondurant-Farrar  

Lauren Herrig, sr., Davenport Assumption

Allie Carty, sr., Union

Ellie Gengler, soph., Bishop Heelan

Eva Steckelberg, sr., Gilbert 

Madi Watts, fr., Carlisle 

Emma Bulman, jr., Gilbert 

Player of the year finalists

Grace Held, sr., Pella

The Sioux Falls signee will finish as one of the best players in Pella history. Held, who scored her 100th career goal in late April, ranks second in the state with 35 goals through 16 games. Held is a big reason why Pella was No. 6 in IGHSAU's final Class 2A rankings.

Abigail Santana, jr., Linn-Mar

The lone returner from last year's Elite team, Santana is a driving force behind Linn-Mar's 17-1 start. The Creighton commit has 14 goals and nine assists through 18 games. The Lions were No. 3 in IGHSAU's final Class 3A rankings. 

Melina Hegelheimer, sr., Ames

After being named Gatorade player of the year in 2018, Hegelheimer has kept it going this season. The Iowa signee is a monumental reason why Ames finished inside the top 15 in IGHSAU's final Class 3A rankings. 

More 2019 All-Iowa soccer award winners

Des Moines Register Sports Awards

The Des Moines Register Sports Awards recognizes and honors top athletes from across the state of Iowa in 21 sports. This event is hosted by the Des Moines Register and will take place Friday, June 21, 2019 at Wells Fargo Arena. The show features various awards, contests and guest speaker Kurt Warner with special appearance by Lolo Jones.

  • Athletes: Each honored athlete will receive two complementary tickets. Athletes will be contacted by their athletic director or coach with details on how to RSVP for the event. You can find a full list of honorees at SportsAwards.DesMoinesRegister.com/#nominees
  • Ticket info: General admission tickets are now on sale for the Des Moines Register Sports Awards. Purchase your tickets at SportsAwards.DesMoinesRegister.com. 
  • Individual ticket price: $25 plus service fees.
  • Family four-pack ticket price: $52 plus service fees.
  • Student ticket price: $10 plus service fees. Limited two per order. Use promo code STUDENT at checkout. 
  • Merchandise: Sports Awards T-shirts, tank tops and more are on sale now at ShopDMRegister.com/SportsAwards.

Dargan Southard covers Iowa and UNI athletics, recruiting and preps for the Des Moines Register, HawkCentral.com and the Iowa City Press-Citizen. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.