B

NEW TAZEWELL- Be it on the field or in the classroom, Taylor Pressnell and Hayley LeBert know what it means to be successful.

The dynamic duo from Claiborne High School signed on Wednesday to continue their academic and athletic careers at Lincoln Memorial.

Both soccer players have etched their names in the Lady Bulldogs’ record book.

Pressnell finished her Claiborne career third in scoring with 77 goals and 58 assists and LeBert is right behind her in fourth place with 60 goals and she holds the school record for most goals in a single game which is eight.

While those numbers are impressive, the most impressive number is the perfect 4.0 grade point average the two players have amassed while in high school.

Both will graduate from CHS in May as valedictorians and LeBert will be a graduate of the Dual Enrollment College program at Walters State as she will receive her Associates’ degree in May as well.

That means while she will be a freshman athletically, LeBert will be a junior academically when she begins at the Harrogate school in the Fall.

Pressnell said LMU’s proximity was the main factor in her decision to ink with the Lady Railsplitters.

“It’s only 15 minutes away from home and I grew up here. I love soccer so much and the fact that I get to continue that so close to home really means a lot to me.”

She said while soccer has been a major component of her life for many years, it’s not the main one.

“Academics have always been first and foremost when it came to all this. Soccer was just a cherry on top. I’m going to school for school and soccer is something I get to do while there.”

She plans to major in Exercise Science at LMU with the intention of going to Physical Therapy school after graduation.

Pressnell said it will be an adjustment from going from a multi-year starter to a freshman in college but that is something she sees as a potential plus. “It will definitely be a learning experience. It will be a time to grow as a player, as a student and as a Christian.”

LeBert credits her years as a member of the Claiborne soccer program for molding her into the type of player she is. “It’s allowed me to form a lot of good friendships and overall, it’s help me to gain confidence in myself playing.”

She echoed her teammate’s sentiment about LMU being close to home as the biggest reason to sign with the Lady Railsplitters. “LMU is close to home and the coaches were really nice. I also loved the campus.”

As a student in the Dual Enrollment program at Walters State, LeBert spent most of her time on the WSCC campus in Tazewell before going to practice in the afternoons.

That experience has assisted her in her academic pursuit as she will be a Pre-Med major with hopes of eventually becoming an anesthesiologist one day.

“I always put my academics first above everything else,” LeBert said. “I’ve always thought that was really important to keep that ahead of everything because that’s what my future will be in and not soccer.”