By Matt Browning

Jessi Ferneau of Buhler was voted as the Wichita Small School Preseason Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Ferneau received nearly 15,000 votes, which was over 45 percent of the vote.

“I feel really appreciated that so many people were voting for me and were dedicated and supportive of me through my last year of high school soccer,” Ferneau said.

In 2019, as a sophomore, Ferneau was a first team all-league goalie and she joins a talented group of Crusaders that will be one of the top teams in Class 4-1A.

“Our team is looking very strong this year and I am very excited about what we do as a team this year,” Ferneau said. “I am just glad to say I got a senior soccer season.”

Part of Ferneau’s job as a senior leader is to lead the underclassmen and show them what it means to be successful.

“My personal goals are to spread out and make all the younger girls have fun with the sport I’ve been playing since I was very young, and to make sure they aren’t scared to come ask questions to one of the upperclassmen,” Ferneau said. “But the bigger one is to defeat our competition and make it to state.”

Next year, Ferneau is going to be playing soccer at Pratt Community College and continue further into her nursing career.