LebCo Female Athlete of the Week: Kenzie Long (Week Ending October 20, 2024)

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Kenzie Long

On October 14th, Palmyra Girls Soccer defeated Middletown by a score of 3-1. In the victory that moved the Lady Cougars up in the District 3 Power Rankings, Kenzie Long scored all three goals to lead her team to victory. The clutch performance by the junior playmaker caught the attention of the LebCoSports.com voters, who voted her as the LebCo Female Athlete of the Week.

When asked about her hat trick, Kenzie “Mackenzie” Long was quick to point to point to how her scoring fit into the larger scheme for her team. The second-year captain, who is in her third year of playing at the varsity level, said, “We have a really good team chemistry going, and I was able to have a successful night to help the team.”

This season, Long has 12 goals and 7 assists. Her 31 points this season have pushed her over the 70-point mark for her career. Her offensive skills have been on display since she scored double-digit goals as a freshman.

Coach Tim Grinstead said of Long, “Kenzie is one of the most versatile players I have ever coached. She plays center back for Penn FC on a nationally ranked team, but in high school she has thrived at center mid and striker. In addition, she drops back at times and plays center back.”

The Palmyra head coach went on to say, “Her competitiveness and will push her to rise to all levels of competition. She is a natural leader but continues to hone her leadership skills game by game.”

When assessing her own role with the team, Long stated, “I feel that I have been able to provide good leadership and good ball movement to help create good opportunities.”

Further confirming Long’s leadership role on the team, Grinstead said, “She cares for all her teammates, and whether it is their pregame hair or daily life struggles, Kenzie is a go-to for all the girls. We wouldn’t be where we are as a team without Kenzie’s consistency and leadership.”

While Long still has a year and a half left of high school, she already knows that she would like to continue her playing career at the collegiate level. When it comes to her future goals, Long would like to pursue a career in nursing.

For now, she will be focused on Palmyra’s next game, a District 3 Semifinal clash with Lower Dauphin that is set to take place on Monday night. The strong play of Long and her teammates has the #12-seed Lady Cougars just one win away from qualifying for States after defeating York Suburban and Fleetwood in the first two rounds of the postseason.

We wish Kenzie and all of her teammates the best of luck as they play to continue their season into November.

Photos provided by the Long family

Read about this week’s LebCo Male Athletes of the Week: Justin Kaplan & Brady Stoops

For a full list of this week’s nominees, check out: Athlete of the Week Voting: October 14-20

Previous Winners

Alaina Miller (Week of August 19th)

Cameron Blouch (Week of August 26th)

Scarlett Meyer (Week of August 26th)

Avery Lechleitner (Week of September 2nd)

Delaney Miller (Week of September 9th)

Lily Rohrer (Week of September 9th)

Kailen Hibshman (Week of September 16th)

Kenadie Dunsworth (Week of September 23rd)

Chloe Shirk (Week of September 30th)

Susie Hoffman (Week of October 6th)