Towne Athlete Meet

TOWNE ATHLETE

Zoe Lemke

Annapolis Area Christian School Soccer, Track & Field

By Tom Worgo

Zoe Lemke plays soccer like she has two left feet, or maybe two right feet. Lemke, a senior at Annapolis Area Christian High School in Severn, is the only player she knows who can kick with as much strength and accuracy with either her left or right foot.

That’s why the Odenton resident was recruited by Division I and Division II colleges. “There are girls that can use both feet,” Lemke says. “I just feel like I am very strong with both. Not a lot of other people are. They might use both feet, but you can clearly see the difference, and which one is dominant. I am right-footed and I have a lot of people ask if I am left-footed.” The 5-foot-4 Lemke can kick with ease from either side of the field, and she does it often. That sets her apart from other standout players on the Eagles and her club team, the Elite 02 of the Davidsonville Athletic Association.

“I can play both sides of the field instead being limited to one side,” she says. “There’s a lot of players if you put them on the left side, they always have to kick the ball to their right to shoot. That takes extra time. It gives the defense an option to take the ball because you taking more time setting your shot up.”

Lemke noticed her unusual ability at a young age and became adept kicking with both feet at 10. And she has her father to thank for that.

“We would spend a lot of time working on kicking the ball with my left foot to get it better,” she says. “We would play in the backyard. I wouldn’t use my right foot at all. It took a lot of practice. I used ankle weights, too. It helped with getting my running technique down.”

Lemke, a midfielder, is excited at the prospects of playing college soccer. Two Division II schools in Florida, Palm Beach Atlantic University and the University of Tampa, top her list. And just this past November, she committed to play at Palm Beach Atlantic U.

“A huge thing is that I want to be surrounded by players and coaches that will make me better,” she says. “And I want to play at a high level of soccer.”

Lemke’s skills blossomed while competing for the Elite

“A huge thing is that I want to be surrounded by players and coaches that will make me better. And I want to play at a high level of soccer.”

02. She plays year-round for the club, traveling to Las Vegas, Memphis, Western Pennsylvania, and New Jersey for top tournaments in recent years. She has played for 14 years overall.

“She is a complete player,” Elite 02 Coach Collin Santos says. “She does more assisting than scoring for us. She really hustles. That’s why we love having her on the field. She comes in tip-top shape every season. I really don’t have to sub for her very often.”

At Annapolis Area Christian School, Lemke dominated as both a sophomore and junior. She led the team in scoring both years. Her junior year was clearly her best. Lemke, also a member of the school’s track and field team, earned FirstTeam All-County honors after scoring 30 goals and dishing out six assists. She recorded three hat tricks that season.

“Her speed is one of her greatest strengths,” AACS Girls Soccer Coach Amy Sproul says. “I also really like her soccer I.Q and her ability to see the field, set up her teammates, and know what type of opportunities she has for herself to make something happen.”

But Sproul cites Lemke’s toughness above all else. “She has dealt with injuries to one leg or the other and she will be like ‘I am just fine. I can do it,’” the coach says. “It’s like nothing is even wrong with her.”

When Lemke gets to college, she will be as sharply focused on soccer as on studying nursing. She carries a 3.5 grade-point average and takes advancement placement classes.

“I just really like helping people,” she says. “When I took anatomy last year, I thought I wanted to do something in the medical field. It was something that was really interesting and cool to me. I’d love to do it as a career.”

AACS Athletic Director Josiah Wolf believes Lemke is close to being the perfect student-athlete. “She works hard in the classroom, on the field, and training on her own,” he says. “She is a great teammate and role model for our younger players. She is just a jewel to have at our school.”

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