Get to the ball first every time.

That’s what soccer player Kennedy Kieneker told the Reporter about her work ethic four years ago when she was selected to compete for the West squad in the Second Annual High School All-American Game in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The 2015 Redmond High graduate scored a full scholarship to hone her skills at the University of Arizona and is playing in her third NCAA Division I tournament. Kieneker scored as the Wildcats beat the University of Denver, 3-0, in the opener and they will play the University of Tennessee on Nov. 16.

Senior Kieneker, who has played in every match during her Wildcat tenure, was described as the backbone of Arizona’s midfield by the SB Nation blog. She scored a pair of goals in the Wildcats’ 3-0 victory over Oregon State University in October.

At Redmond, she was a four-year letter-winner, four-year starter and four-year first-team 4A all-KingCo selection. She was also named the Mustangs’ athlete of the year her senior year.