Katlyn Lokay among MSUB's best as 4-year captain for 'Jackets

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Friday, September 25, 2015 Katlyn Lokay among MSUB’s best as 4-year starter for ‘Jackets

Turning in one of the best careers in MSUB women’s soccer history, senior captain Katlyn Lokay is a leader on and off the field who inspires teammates through her humble leadership.

MSUB SPORTS – With her team trailing 2-1 on the road against Northwest Nazarene University and with time running down in the second half, then-junior Katlyn Lokay of the Montana State University Billings women’s soccer team knew the Yellowjackets had to make a move and do so quickly.

MSUB was fighting for positioning in the 2014 Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s soccer standings, vying for a return to the conference championship which Lokay had experienced as a freshman in 2012 but had eluded her and the ‘Jackets in 2013.

In the 84th minute in the final regular season match of the year, Lokay tucked home her third goal of the season to tie the score at 2-2.

In the second overtime period, Lokay’s fourth goal of the season clinched the come-from-behind victory and sent the Yellowjackets into the conference tournament on a positive note. Lokay and her teammates turned a losing season in

2013 into an 11-3-2 regular-season finish in 2014 as the Yellowjackets finished in second place in the regular season standings.

Lokay’s goals in that match were not career-defining or particularly memorable beyond the week that followed. But they served as a perfect representation of the impact she has had on MSUB’s program throughout her four-year career.

Now as a senior with MSUB, Lokay wears the captain’s arm band proudly. She has earned it as she has grown into a vital leadership figure who the players around her aspire to be like.

Most of all, she has been a game-changer for the ‘Jackets, just as she was on that November afternoon in Nampa, Idaho.

Lokay has developed into a player MSUB can always count on to come through in the clutch and lift her entire team through the way that she carries herself.

PLAYING WITH THE BOYS Many kids experiment with a variety of sports growing up, testing their hands – and feet – at as many different activities as they can.

For Lokay however, it has been soccer since Day 1. When she first started out, it didn’t bother Lokay that she was thrown into the boys’ small-sided games as a kid. “Growing up I never did other sports, it was just soccer,” Lokay said. “I got to the age where boys don’t like passing to girls and I started to get frustrated.”

Lokay joined the Boulder County Force for her U9 season, and when she reached the U11 age Lokay began to take her game to the next level. Playing under head coach Ryan Hinkle, Lokay credits her early teenage years as being most crucial to the technical development of her game. “He taught me how to read the game and all of the technical things,” Lokay commented on her early coach. “He taught me everything I know and gave me an opportunity to grow and be part of a top tier team.”

By the time she reached high school, Lokay had excelled on every team she had played for, learning skills as a central defender as well as an attacking midfielder during her development. It was Lokay’s adaptability to different roles and strong work ethic that initially caught the attention of MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak.

“One night my dad came to me and said he had a coach from Montana on the phone who wanted to talk to me,” Lokay remembered. “He told me he wanted me to come for a visit, so my mother and I flew out, did a tour and I trained with the team. I felt like when I visited it was similar enough to home but far enough away for me to feel independent. It just felt right and it was where I was supposed to be.”

A roughly eight-hour drive from her home town of Boulder, Colo., Lokay knew right away during her initial visit that Billings was the right choice to pursue her career at the college level. After signing her letter of intent however, Lokay faced one of the toughest decisions of her life prior to her senior season at Boulder High School.

After a subluxation of the patella in her left knee, Lokay needed surgery that would force her to miss her final prep season. “I renounced my captainship, and got surgery that December so I didn’t play my senior season,” Lokay said.

“Rehab was the main focus for me that spring, and I was nervous about being fit coming into college as a freshman.”

When she was able to get back onto the field, Lokay trained with her brother Zac’s club team as she was reminded of her early youth days playing with the boys. “That was frustrating at first, but it ended up being the best thing for me,” Lokay said regarding working out with her brother. “I was just trying to get my strength and quickness back.”

CAREER UNFOLDING “I remember watching her start consistently our freshman year. She just puts her head down, does what she has to do, and doesn’t ask questions. I have always looked up to her and she always puts her best effort into everything.” – Senior Ashely Marra on senior Katlyn Lokay.

Not only did she recover stronger than ever, but Lokay hit the ground running from her first day as a Yellowjacket. As a freshman, she started all 20 matches and led the team in minutes played with 1,798. In just her third career match, Lokay scored her first two collegiate goals, lifting the Yellowjackets to a 2-0 victory over Dixie State on Sept. 6, 2012.

Katlyn Lokay as a freshman in 2012.

What stood out beyond Lokay’s two goals and assists in her first season however was her versatility and rare leadership she displayed as one of the youngest players on the team. “I remember to this day when she played every position her freshman year except for goalkeeper,” Krakowiak commented. “This tells you that she had excellent coaches in the past who really focused on tactical and technical aspects of the game. She raises the bar every day for MSUB women’s soccer and we are very lucky that she chose MSUB.”

Lokay’s productive first season culminated in a run to the GNAC Championships, where the Yellowjackets advanced to the title game before falling to Western Washington. “As a freshman I had no idea what it meant to make the tournament, but throughout the season I realized that to get there was huge,” Lokay said. “When we beat Seattle Pacific in the first round it was the best feeling in the world. You can’t really describe it without being there.”

Despite the successful first campaign, Lokay and the ‘Jackets struggled to play at the same level her sophomore year as MSUB just missed the conference tournament and finished with a record of 6-8-2. Lokay again started every match and led the team in minutes with 1,486, but she experienced a familiar challenge upon the conclusion of the season.

With the surgery on her left knee and the recovery it entailed still relatively fresh in Lokay’s mind, she suffered the exact same injury on her right knee and again faced surgery and six months away from the game. Motivated by her injury as well as MSUB’s subpar season, Lokay was determined to recover stronger than ever after she had to sit out during the Yellowjackets’ spring season in 2014.

Returning home over the summer, Lokay worked with physical therapist Jeff Hoobler who she credits with helping her through the grueling rehab a second time. “Having him there was very helpful, because he knew what my body needed and what my circumstances were,” Lokay commented on Hoobler. “Having that support system helped me get back to 100 percent.”

While Lokay had to deal with the frustration of not playing with her teammates in the spring, then-fellow sophomore Teegan Koster faced the same injury and was also sidelined. The duo had already grown close and developed a strong friendship, but working through their injuries together only helped strengthen their bond. “It is never fun to sit out, even in the spring, but I am glad Katlyn and I both went through the injury together,” Koster said. “She bounced back really quickly. No one can question how hard she works, and she has always led by example.”

“Teegan has stuck with me throughout ups and downs and everything I have been through here,” Lokay said. “I don’t know what I would do without her support in life in general.”

‘LOKAY’ RHYMES WITH ‘OK’ “Soccer has taught me to come out of my shell. I didn’t talk much my freshman year and was shy off the field. Now, especially being a captain, I have to be able to communicate with my teammates on and off the field. College athletics are hard, and it takes a lot of mental and physical strength. Making it through four years here has taught me to grow up a lot.” – Katlyn Lokay.

By season’s end, Lokay will become just the seventh player ever at MSUB to cross 6,000 career minutes played. Her presence on the field over the past four years has been a model of consistency rarely matched, but her contributions off the field within her team and university have been just as significant.

Lokay as a sophomore in 2013.

Lokay currently serves as the vice president for MSUB’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and carries a 3.3 grade point average while pursuing her degree in psychology.

After college, Lokay has ambitions of joining the police force, explaining her desire to build a career around making a difference in peoples’ lives.

“Because I have played soccer my whole life, I have always enjoyed the physical aspect and being hands-on,” Lokay said.

“That part of police work appeals to me, and I want to be out on my feet being active. I want to do something that makes a difference and that isn’t the same thing every day.”

Lokay admits that she has always been somewhat of a softspoken leader, choosing her words wisely and electing to think through situations rather than act on impulses. “One of the things I respect about Katlyn is that she is fine being the outsider looking in,” Marra said. “It is interesting to get her point of view on things because she will see something completely different than other people.”

When Marra and Lokay first joined the program together as freshmen, Lokay had an immediate impact on her classmate in one of the first team sessions they had together. Participating in an early-season fitness exercise – known to athletes as “the beep test” – Marra set out determined to match Lokay stride-for-stride and keep up with her.

“I remember thinking, ‘I am going to stay with this girl, I am just as fast as her,’” Marra recalled with a laugh. “She sprinted the whole thing and I think I made it to level six. I have made it a goal ever since to beat her in races, but she always wins.”

Lokay as a junior in 2014.

CAPTAIN LOKAY “What I like most about Katlyn is her personality. She is a very humble person with a huge heart, she never complains, and she always has a positive attitude. She has raised the bar very high for the women’s soccer program, not just on the field, but also as a person, student, and athlete. It will be a huge job for me to find another Katlyn.” – MSUB head coach Wojtek Krakowiak on senior captain Katlyn Lokay.

Wearing the captain’s arm band for the third straight season, Lokay now helps anchor MSUB’s back line as a central defender. She has served in every role imaginable for the team, scoring goals when the Yellowjackets needed them most, and stopping opponents in their tracks in the defensive third.

Among her goals in her final season are to help the Yellowjackets build on last season’s success and return to the conference tournament. So far, MSUB is off to a 4-1-1 start and is 2-0 in conference play after a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Western Oregon on Thursday.

Lokay as a senior in 2015.

Krakowiak and the Yellowjackets have asked Lokay to be everything they have needed throughout her career, and each time she has responded by exceeding expectations. Her humble and gracious attitude is something she credits to her development growing up, putting her parents and siblings at the forefront of the senior leader she has grown into.

“My parents are my rock in everything I have done,” Lokay said regarding her mother Linda and father Henry. “My dad was my first coach, and he was just a parent who had no idea what he was doing. But he was passionate about it and he is still passionate about it now. Even now that I’m older in college he and my mom drive eight hours to come watch as many games as they can. I would not be the player, person, or leader I am without them.”

Don’t expect MSUB’s to be the last uniform Lokay ever wears, as she undoubtedly will one day follow through with her ambition to join the police force. Perhaps she’ll even earn the title, ‘Captain Lokay’ in another role besides her current one in the navy and gold.

When she moves on, the ‘Jackets will be hard-pressed to find a talent as humble and effective as Lokay has been throughout her career.

“We always joke, ‘who is going to be the next Katlyn?” Marra said. “You just want to play like her, do what she does, and make your presence known on the field the way Katlyn does.”

Next season, the ‘Jackets will set out to find an answer to Marra’s question. For now, they will continue to band together around one of the most unique and talented players to ever suit up for MSUB. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--