Prep Athletes of the Week: Jenna Maloy drives White Bear Lake girls soccer to the peak

White Bear Lake • soccer

The Bears program has reached new heights. It is ranked No. 1 for the first time in school history.

A big reason for the success is Maloy, a senior forward who has 22 goals and four assists in the 8-0-1 start for the Class 3A school.

“Her ability to turn a defender and dribble with speed is unmatched,” Bears co-coach John Dierkhising said. “It really puts a lot of pressure on the other team’s back line, which breaks down the defense and opens things up for our other players.”

Maloy has scored at least one goal in every game and is coming off a five-goal performance against Roseville. She has 16 goals in the past five games.

“This season she has added a lot more deception with her finishing, which is oftentimes in the box with a lot of traffic or with keepers coming out cutting down the angle,” Dierkhising said. “She has scored a number of goals by pump-faking the first shot and cutting it back, often to a wide-open finish after the defender or keeper bites on the first attempt. It has been very effective.”

It’s because of plenty of practice hours for Maloy, who is committed to South Dakota State for college. She is a midfielder on her club team and will play that position for the Jackrabbits.

“I practice a lot outside of practice on placing the ball in the net,” Maloy said. “I love playing both positions for different reasons.”

A four-year starter, the captain doesn’t want the Bears to become complacent.

“We’ve had a really good start to the season,” Maloy said. “It’s a big honor to be No. 1, but we can’t let it go to our heads. We have to play like the No. 1 team every game, and prove it to our opponents.”

Maloy and her teammates have never reached U.S. Bank Stadium in the state tournament. They lost to Maple Grove 2-1 in the quarterfinals a year ago.

“We have to keep working hard if we want to achieve that goal,” Maloy said. “It’s been a fun four years, but would like to make it to the Bank.”

Farmington • football

Ask doesn’t mind pressure situations. The senior quarterback scored on a 2-yard run with 32 seconds remaining, capping a 20-point fourth quarter as the Tigers rallied for a 40-36 victory over Rochester Mayo. He opened the Tigers’ scoring with a 29-yard run and threw four touchdown passes in between his scoring runs, accounting for all six touchdowns. He completed 19 of 22 passes for 313 yards. “Jonah showed his playmaking ability throughout the game,” Farmington coach Rick Sutton said. “He is a fierce competitor who has the ability to make big plays both throwing and running the ball.”

Rochester John Marshall • cross-country

The sophomore was the medalist in the Rochester Mayo Invitational for the second time, posting a winning time of 19 minutes, 13.2 seconds over the 5K route at Eastwood Golf Course. “I have been coaching Abi for almost three years, and it’s been such a gift to watch her mold and grow into the young and bright runner she is today,” Rockets coach Dakota Hiller said. ”After being a force her seventh- and beginning of her eighth-grade year, she experienced a lot of performance anxiety and conceived pressure from those around her. It took a whole year to learn and understand this anxiety and how to overcome it. She had to fall in love with running again. Her self-belief and confidence on the course has grown exponentially.”

Houston • football

Rodriguez found plenty of running room against Nine-Player No. 9 Mabel-Canton. The senior running back weaved his way to 336 yards on only eight carries and scored four touchdowns in the Hurricanes’ 60-20 victory, their first win of the season. Rodriguez scored on runs of 58, 78, 81 and 95 yards. “Maddox has a natural running style, great vision and stiff arm. He has a good blend of elusiveness and power,” Houston coach Cody Hungerholt said. “Our offensive line did a great job getting him to the second level, and then he did the rest.”

Shakopee • swimming

It’s early in the season, and Zelen already has established three pool records at Rosemount and Burnsville in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle. “She is an incredible athlete,” Shakopee coach Jenny Carlson said. “It’s all about her internal drive.” A senior captain who is bound for Wisconsin, Zelen is the Class 2A defending champion in the 100 freestyle with a time of 49.86 seconds. She owns the state’s fastest time in the 100 breaststroke at 1:05.63. “She is so versatile,” Carlson said. “Her work ethic and leadership is incredible.”

Annandale • cross-country

Wirth, a senior, is off to a blazing start in his final season. He ran one of the fastest times in the state, 15 minutes, 16 seconds, over a new 5K course in Annandale. Wirth is ranked No. 1 in Class 2A by the coaches association. “He is ready for a memorable finish to his high school running career,” Cardinals coach Nate Hoffman said. “What separates him from his competition is the amount of sheer determination and experience he has. The exciting part is all that’s ahead because of the hard work he’s put in. He’s going to make his own dreams come true.”

Nova Classical • volleyball

“Ava has started the 2024 season with a bang,” Nova Classical coach Thomas Dobbs said. “She has not missed a beat from last season.” A senior outside hitter, Ball has 216 kills and 129 digs for the Class 2A, No. 3 Knights (9-1). She is closing in on 2,000 kills and 1,500 digs for her career. “Ava is a leader both on and off the court, and her work ethic and humble demeanor is to be admired,” Dobbs said. “She is a fierce competitor that leads by example. I wouldn’t trade her for any other player in the state.”

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