UK Soccer Signees
The University of Kentucky women’s soccer coach Warren Lipka announced today that six student-athletes have committed to play soccer for the Wildcats. Kathy Fulk, Jamie Hutchison, Liz Butler, Tara Weatherford, Laura Wendling, and Kimberly McHugh have signed to play for the Cats in the 2001 season. The spring signing period begins today, Feb. 7.
“Again, we have another successful recruiting class. We have players talented enough to come in and immediately compete for playing time. These players also are capable of playing at the level we are looking for,” UK coach Warren Lipka said.
Fulk is a forward/midfielder from Columbus, Ohio, and a product of Dublin Scioto High School. A four-year letterwinner, Fulk has tallied 46 goals and 61 assists. She was named Player of the Year in the Ohio Central Conference her sophomore and junior years and has been a first-team All-League pick all four years in high school. She also was named to the Super-12 team for the past four years, a team comprised of the premier soccer players in Central Ohio. In October of her senior year, she was named WTVN-Radio’s Athlete of the Week.
“Kathy Fulk is a very dynamic, attacking player who will add depth on to the wealth of attacking players we have now. She will be another addition to our players that are going forward. She is a hard-working, dedicated player who should bring a lot to this program,” Lipka said.
Fulk plays club soccer for Ohio Premier, coached by Michael T. Radcliffe. She was named a 2000 Parade Magazine All-American and has been a member of the Olympic Development Program State Team for eight years. She was also a five-year member of the ODP Regional team. She was a member of the state champion Ohio South team in 1997, 1998, and 2000. The squad was the Junior Orange Bowl Champion and has won the National Indoor Championships three times. Academically, Fulk is a member of the honor roll and chose the Wildcats over Ohio State and Notre Dame.
Hutchison and Weatherford played at Oldham County High School, where both have lettered four years. Hutchison recorded 72 goals and 35 assists in her tenure. The midfielder/defender was a member of the 1997, 1998, and 2000 Bluegrass Cup All-Tournament team and made the Male Classic All-Tournament team from 1998 through 2000. In 2000, she was an NSCAA Midwest All-Region team pick. She was named first-team All-State in 1999 and 2000, and the 2000 MVP of the All-State game. Hutchison, also an honor roll member, participated on the Kentucky ODP State Team for the past five years. She chose Kentucky over Ole Miss, South Carolina, Miami of Ohio, and Alabama-Birmingham.
“Jamie [Hutchison] is a very tenacious defender who will challenge immediately for a spot in the back. She comes from a solid program in Louisville in the Javanon program, and I look for good things from her immediately,” Lipka said.
Weatherford was Oldham County team captain in 1999 and 2000. She was a member of the 1997 ODP Regional Pool Team, the 1996-99 ODP State team, and was in Regional Pool training from 1997 through 1999. Named to the Bluegrass All-Tournament team in 1999 and 2000, she also was a first-team All-State pick in 2000. In both 1999 and 2000, she was named to the district and region All-Tournament teams. In 1997, she was named Most Explosive Player for Oldham County. Weatherford chose the Wildcats over Ole Miss and Louisville.
“Tara Weatherford is a very quick, fast, dynamic player who could play out wide or at striker,” Lipka said.
Hutchison and Weatherford are members of the Javanon 83 club team, coached by Ali Maleakeh. Javanon 83 was the Kentucky state champion from 1996-1998 and 2000, and was the runner-up to the state title in 1996 and 1999. Weatherford was voted MVP and won the “Most Goals Scored” award in 1995.
A product of Kansas City Blue Valley, Butler is a goalkeeper who recorded 131 saves in one year and boasts a school-record goals against average of 0.52. She recorded 18 saves in one game in a win over a nationally ranked team. Her honors include being named All-State, All-District, All-Sunflower, All-Johnson County, and Kansas City All-Metro. She was the 1998 Newcomer of the Year and was an NEKSCA 6A first-team choice. In her time at Blue Valley, she accumulated 12 varsity letters as a member of the soccer, golf, and basketball teams.
“Liz Butler was highly recruited and very capable of stepping in and contributing immediately,” Lipka said.
A member of the Kansas City Heat club soccer team, she is coached by Gaggs Pritchard. She is a four-year member of the State Cup Championship Team and was a member of a Region II semifinalist team. She has been a member of the ODP State team from 1997 to the present. She has participated in the USYSA Region II Pool Sessions in 1998, 1999, and 2000, as well as the USYSA Region II ODP Camp from 1997 to the present. She also has taken part in individualized training with US Goalkeeping Coordinator Peter Mallor and with ODP coach Mark Sheldon. She was a member of the 1982 championship team that won the Kansas City Winter Invitational. Butler has been on the honor roll for four years and is a member of the National Honor Society. She chose the Cats over Connecticut, Oregon State, Marquette, and Kansas.
Wendling is a center midfielder from Edgewood, Ky., and is a product of Notre Dame Academy. She was on the ODP State team from 1995 through 1999 and was on the Region II Pool team in 1998. She was a state semifinalist on Notre Dame’s team from 1997-98 and was on the Academic All-State team in 1997 and 1998. As a member of the GSE Cardinals Premier club team, she was coached by Tim Lesiak. The Cardinals were Region II semifinalists in 1998 and won the Cardinal Cup in 1999.
“Laura Wendling is a central midfielder who is a playmaker and is creative,” Lipka said.
McHugh is a Louisville Assumption product and is a goalkeeper. She plays club soccer for the Louisville Alliance Futbol Club under Dave Griffiths. Over the past two years, her club soccer goals against average has been a mere 0.8 and she allowed only an average of 12 goals a season. Griffiths calls her “the backbone of the team’s success.” Louisville Alliance won the Continental Alliance tournament last season as well as the Indianapolis Red Lion Tournament. In addition, she has been a member of the two-time Louisville Alliance spring tournament championship team. She has guided her team to two league championships and is a two-year starter. Choosing not to compete in ODP, she traveled with the Louisville Alliance to Ireland and England to compete in a series of games.
“Kim McHugh will be coming in to help our goalkeeping situation with Liz Butler,” Lipka said.
Lipka said that this will close the Cats’ recruiting, but that the door was never truly shut.
