Linn-Mar Girls Soccer

Jensen Sevening wins Metro Spotlight Award

Linn-Mar junior Jensen Sevening is the winner of the Metro Spotlight Award for high school girls this week, the Metro Sports Report announced Sunday.

Sevening and Olivia Garcia have given the second-ranked Lions a strong 1-2 punch this season. Sevening has seven goals and five assists in eight games.

Here is our Question-&-Answer session with Jensen Sevening:

MSR: What has been your favorite individual highlight in sports?

JENSEN: This one is from my freshman year (2012) in a game at Linn-Mar against a pretty big rival Iowa City West. The game was first played for about 15 minutes until it was stormed out and postponed until later.

When it continued, I scored off of a free kick with about 10 minutes left to put us up 1-0. With about three minutes left, West tied it at 1-1 and the game went into overtime. We scored about halfway through, but the ref called it off due to a hand ball so the game then went to penalty kicks.

After five shooters, it was again tied at 5-5, so it became sudden death PKs and our keeper Rylie Frese made an awesome save and I scored the game-winning goal as the sixth shooter.

MSR: What is your favorite team highlight in sports?

JENSEN: My favorite team highlight has to be from this year in our game against Kennedy, which is another dramatic one. We were down 1-0 pretty early, but instead of lowering our heads and giving up, everyone worked harder and fought back which allowed us to tie it 1-1 just before half.

In the second half we came out strong and got a goal to go up 2-1, which was quickly followed by two more goals. They tied it at 2-2 and we went right back up 3-2. Then with 20 minutes remaining there was all of the drama with the refs leaving the game, and when the game continued, we were focused and ready to finish, which we did, thanks to yet another huge PK save from Rylie Frese with one minute left.

Kennedy is probably our biggest rival so our games always get physical and aggressive which we were ready for. Everyone on the field was prepared and willing to take a beating. Tactically, our touches were great, our passes were on point and our defense was incredibly strong. Plus, we were communicating really well.

However, the best "highlight" from that game was our team's psychological strength, concentration and positivity.

MSR: Who has had the biggest influence on your sports career?

JENSEN: My family. All of us are big into sports and extremely competitive about it. My older brother was an all-district quarterback and my sister was an all-conference setter and my younger brother is still in middle school, but is quite the all-star defenseman as a hockey player.

So we all play different sports, but we'll still play soccer or football together in the backyard and there's always that competitive attitude to win and prove that one of us is just a bit better than the other at this or that game.

And then of course there are my parents, who have supported my soccer "career" since elementary school: Driving to practice, going to buy new cleats or just cheering on the sidelines during games.

MSR: What are your future goals in sports?

JENSEN: In the near future, hopefully LMGS (Linn-Mar Girls Soccer) can win a state championship before I graduate. After that I'm planning on playing soccer in college, where the goal is to continue getting better, enjoy my time playing and just continue to be involved in soccer.

MSR: What are your favorite classes in school?

JENSEN: My favorite classes are by far math and chemistry. Currently, I'm leaning toward studying both in college for a double major or major-minor.

MSR: What has been your favorite community service project?

JENSEN: My favorite has to be the "Kicking Cancer" fundraisers Linn-Mar and Kennedy girls soccer participate in. A lot of money raised comes from bake sales, which is a way to help others by combining my favorite things, soccer and food!

Linn-Mar girls soccer also raises money by selling T-shirts and having an "ice cream night" at Orange Leaf. The last two years, we have donated our proceeds to Gems of Hope, which is an organization that tries to help inspire hope and joy in those who have cancer as well as their families.