Ankeny Centennial soccer standout Courtney Kovacs decided earlier this week that she wanted to continue her playing career at Minnesota State-Mankato.
Ankeny players Eden Gibson and Kennedy Macke came to the same conclusion at about the same time.
Kovacs announced her verbal commitment to the Mavericks via Twitter on Tuesday. Gibson and Macke then committed on Wednesday.
“I think it’s a coincidence that we committed at the same time because each of us got our offers at different times and had our own things to consider and get done before deciding and announcing it,” said Kovacs.
The trio will join a Minnesota State roster that already includes two other Ankeny natives. Former Ankeny forward Olivia Sharar is a sophomore on the squad after transferring from Indiana State, while former Centennial defender Macy Epp is a freshman for the Mavericks.
“I considered a couple other schools around (Iowa) but none of the schools stood out as much as Minnesota State,” said Macke.
Kovacs said she looked at UMKC, Winona State and St. Cloud State before choosing Minnesota State.
“On my my first visit to Mankato as soon as I got there I was really impressed with the campus, and I already knew that I liked the coaches,” Kovacs said. “I got to meet the team and see what the overall environment was like, and I loved it.”
Macke had a similar feeling about the program.
“I loved their campus and coaches,” she said. “The team was so welcoming when I went on my visit, too. Training with them made me feel comfortable and everything made it feel like home.”
Gibson and Macke both played on Ankeny’s state championship team as freshmen in 2019. After missing the 2020 campaign due to COVID-19, the duo helped the Hawkettes to a 14-5 record and a runner-up finish in Class 3A last season.
Gibson, a defender, had four goals and three assists while helping her team post eight shutouts. She was named to the all-state first team by the Iowa Girls’ Coaches Association.
Macke, a midfielder, racked up five goals and 10 assists. She was a second-team all-state pick.
Kovacs, a defender, played a key role for a Centennial team that went 18-3 and reached the Class 3A semifinals. She was the leader of a defensive unit that recorded 14 shutouts.
Kovacs, who had one goal and two assists, was a first-team all-state selection by both the Coaches Association and the Iowa High School Soccer Coaches Association. She also joined Gibson and Macke on the Class 3A all-tournament team.
The three players were also unanimous picks to the CIML Iowa Conference first team.
“All of us went to a camp (at Minnesota State) and loved it,” Kovacs said. “We would stay in touch with each other on how our recruiting process was going so I knew that we were all considering Mankato.”
Macke said the three players were relieved to get their decisions out of the way.
“I knew Eden and Courtney were both considering Minnesota State too and we were all trying to decide before Oct. 1, so it was kind of a coincidence but also somewhat expected,” she said.