By MELANIE BRIDGE
At the close of the 1997 soccer season, BYU’s women’s team finished 22nd in the nation. It was an impressive finish for a team in only its third year of NCAA competition. One reason for BYU’s success for Shauna Rohbock.
Rohbock is a two-time, second-team All-American. To be named an All-American, the athlete must be nominated by other coaches in the region and voted for by coaches in the region.
In 1996 she led the NCAA in scoring regular season goals and was named to the WAC All-Tournament team.
“(Rohbock) is our striker, she’s pretty much a front-runner…attempting to score goals,” said head coach Jennifer Rockwood. “She’s scored a lot of (goals) in her career here at BYU and we look for even more in her senior year.”
Rohbock was recruited by BYU from Mountain View High School in Orem. While in high school she was a member of the 5A All-State first team and the All-Region first team four times. She was also named the state and regional MVP twice.
This year’s soccer season for Rohbock did not go as well as she had hoped for. She had an injury to her leg that slowed her down.
“We just kept having problems,” Rohbock said. “We worked them out in the end, but it got going slow in the beginning.”
Because of her leg and the fact that other players were more aware of her abilities, Rohbock did not score as many goals in the 1997 season.
“Because coaches and players were aware of her abilities out there she was a little more focused on, and a lot of times she was double-teamed,” Rockwood said.
In high school and college many soccer players will also run track just to stay in shape during the off season. Rohbock does not just run track to stay in shape, she runs to win.
Just like in soccer, Rohbock in a four-time All-Region team member, and a two-time All-State team member and state and region MVP. She set the state record in the 100-meter hurdles, javelin and high jump.
At BYU Rohbock competes in the heptathlon. The heptathlon keeps you busy, Rohbock said. She likes doing all the events and thinks it would be boring to just practice one thing every day.
In 1996 Rohbock posted BYU’s second-highest outdoor point total in the heptathlon. She was named a second-team All-American.
Playing on two college teams can be tough; actually doing well is even harder. You don’t see many two-sport All-American’s in college, Rockwood said. Rockwood is pleased that Rohbock is able to do so well on both teams.
“Obviously is she was able to focus on one sport more than the other she might be able to develop a little bit more in either soccer or track,” Rockwood said.
“(Playing two sports) provides her with the agility and athleticism to be a multiple eventer,” track head coach Craig Poole said.
Rohbock said she is more focused on soccer right now. Even during track season she likes to play pick-up games to keep her touch on the ball. It’s a challenge to balance both sports, Rohbock said.
Rohbock redshirted the 1998 indoor track season because she was tired of traveling. She will begin competing in the outdoor track season on Saturday at Cal Poly, San Luis Obisbo.
