WVU Soccer: Kadeisha Buchanan nominated for ESPY
By Phil Poling
WVU soccer standout Kadeisha Buchanan is nominated for the Best Female College Athlete at the 2017 ESPY Awards.
Buchanan, along with Stanford’s Inky Ajanaku, Florida’s Kelly Barnhill, Washington’s Kelsey Plum and Maryland’s Zoe Stukenberg – each representing their respective sports, will be the five players in contention for the award.
It’s been a long ride for the senior Mountaineer, but accolades were grabbed at every stop on her journey.
Hailing from Brampton, Ontario, the Canadian continues to play – and start on the backline – for the Women’s National Team, including participating in the 2016 Rio Olympics. Going back another year, Buchanan was named the FIFA Women’s World Cup Best Young Player in 2015 and the BMO Canadian Player of the Year.
Buchanan scored eight goals and tallied nine assists during her four-year career in Morgantown, but her presence on the field was felt much greater than raw numbers in a stat sheet or box score. Anchoring a defense that posted a program-best 15 shutouts in 2015, Buchanan was declared Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year; her All-Big 12 First Team honors and Big 12 All-Tournament Teams were just as appropriate.
No male athletes from WVU were nominated for Best Male College Athlete, but Kansas’ Frank Mason and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson are two household names in contention.
The 2017 ESPYS will be held in Los Angeles on July 12, but the voting for the awards are done by you – the fans! Go vote WVU soccer’s Kadeisha Buchanan 2017 Best Female College Athlete here!