Freshman midfielder Myah Merino was a little late to the sport of soccer.
“I started later because I was a dancer,” she said. “But then I got into soccer. I just kind of grew into something else, got new interests.”
Merino did not let the late start slow her down.
“I went into club soccer right away, so I knew it was the right fit for me,” she said. “It was a good thing.”
At San Marcos High school, she was the senior captain and was nominated to the All-League Academic Team in 2014 and 2015. Merino played varsity for three years.
Merino said her high school and club were very beneficial in preparing her for the next level of soccer.
In July, her club team made their second run at a national championship. Carlsbad United won the USYS National League Championship 2013-15 and earned third place. The team was a finalist in the Cal South State Cup in 2015.
“We’d been training all summer,” Merino said. “We didn’t finish in the final game but we all knew we put our hearts out on the field.”
Merino said she was interested in Idaho because of the family feel.
“I noticed everyone acts like a family here,” she said. “I knew that was a big part of this program.”
Even when Merino arrived late to preseason training, she did not dawdle in making up the difference.
“It’s taken her a little bit of time to adjust coming off of her national championship run with her club team,” Idaho head coach Derek Pittman said. “She’s been behind a little bit. I think she’s doing a really good job working hard and getting better.”
Most of the Vandals have been practicing since July. Merino did not arrive until early August, according to Pittman.
Pittman said he was happy to see her play with energy during Monday’s scrimmage.
“She was buzzing around, creating opportunities for her teammates as well as herself,” he said. “We look forward to having her continue to get better.”
The San Marcos, Calif. native has already set lofty goals for her freshman season.
“I’m hoping to step into this program and make a difference,” Merino said. “I think it’s important for freshmen to come in and compete at the same level as the upperclassmen. I want to get a lot of goals this season.”