WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue soccer coach Drew Roff has announced that Makena Smith has committed to the program and will join the team for the 2023 season.
Smith is a defender from Brighton, Michigan, and completes the 2023 Boilermaker signing class.
“Kena is a great fit for our program, and I am very excited that she is a Boilermaker,” Roff said. “She is an athletic center back who is dominant in the air, thrives in 1-v-1 duels, and can be trusted to build play out of the back. Our 2023 class is poised to make a big impact next fall and beyond, and I look forward to her being an integral part of it.”
“I chose Purdue because not only does it have an amazing soccer program, but it’s also a phenomenal school,” Smith said. “The coaches really take time to get to know their players, and the team environment feels like a family. I’ve grown up surrounded by the Big Ten, so I am really excited to be a part of it and representing Purdue.”
Our back line just got stronger!
✍ Welcome to the Boilermaker family, 𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙣𝙖 𝙎𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙝!
📍 Brighton, Michigan
⚽️ Defender
🏫 Brighton HS📰 https://t.co/hlABvmlOe2#BoilerUp 🚂⚽️ pic.twitter.com/C36y7GFZOa
— Purdue Soccer (@PurdueSoccer) January 31, 2023
Smith is a student at Brighton High and plays club soccer for the Michigan Jaguars and coach Dan Dalzochio. She has played for the girls academy league the last three seasons with the Jaguars, and was selected to the 2022 Mid-America GA Talent ID event. Smith was a 2020 ODP international team invitee and played in the 2019 inter-regional event while a member of the ECNL’s Michigan Hawks. In 2018, she helped her team to a state championship and was selected to the ODP National Training Camp, while the 2020 season included qualifying for nationals.
At Brighton High, Smith has played three years on the varsity basketball team, including serving as team captain this season. She earned all-county honorable mention accolades in 2022 after pacing the conference in rebounds.
Academically, Smith is a scholar athlete and earned honor roll distinction each year in high…
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