ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, November 14, 1996 TAG: 9611150002
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: N-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JOHN A. MONTGOMERY SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES
WHEN Roanoke native Liz Wedemeyer was inducted into the University of North Carolina-Greensboro's soccer hall of fame last month, it was just the latest in a string of athletic and academic accomplishments for the 22-year-old.
Wedemeyer is one of two women to enter the college's soccer hall of fame since the school acquired Division I status five years ago.
Although hall of fame designation is generally reserved for individuals contemplating retirement homes rather than graduate schools, Wedemeyer is no rookie. She has been playing soccer for nearly two decades.
"I guess I started on an actual team when I was 7,'' said Wedemeyer, who earned her undergraduate degree in May. "But I'd been kicking a ball around with my brother Lang for a couple of years before that.''
Wedemeyer quickly established a reputation in Roanoke for her aggressive soccer play. At James Madison Middle School, she played on a boys' team - and was named an all-star. At Patrick Henry, playing for the girls' team, she made all-Timesland three consecutive years, and was Player of the Year as a senior.
Outside school, Wedemeyer became active in the Roanoke Star soccer program, and was the first girl from this area to be chosen for the state Olympic Development Program team. At 13, she qualified for the regional Olympic Development team.
"If I could have continued to play on boys' teams, I would have,'' Wedemeyer said. "The guys pretty much accepted me - those on my own team, anyway. Sometimes it was difficult playing against other boys. Some tended to shy away, and some deliberately tried to hurt me, but overall, it wasn't a problem.''
"Liz more than held her own with the boys,'' said Roanoke Star coach Richard Cook, who worked with her for several years and introduced her to state competition.
"She was a starter for most of the time for us. She was very dedicated, a wonderful player. Liz stayed after it.''
"Liz's worth ethic is outstanding,'' said Roanoke Star executive director Danny Beamer. "She set goals - and achieved them.''
Beamer hails from Greensboro, and was instrumental in helping Wedemeyer choose UNC-G as her college, she said. Wedemeyer was the first Roanoke girl to earn a soccer scholarship to a Division I school.
"Soccer is a sport that takes a little of every athletic talent,'' Wedemeyer said. "It requires endurance, speed, quickness, skill - and you have to be smart about your playing.''
Wedemeyer has made the most of her opportunities at Greensboro. In addition to starring at midfield positions, where she earned all-conference and all-tournament selections, she has excelled in the classroom.
With a major in human development and family studies, Wedemeyer won a number of academic honors, including Academic All-American. She maintained a perfect 4.0 grade-point average in her major, and this fall earned a $7,000 assistantship in sports psychology at UNC-G's graduate school.
"I work with one of the top sports psychologists in the country, Dr. Daniel Gould,'' Wedemeyer said. "He's been my adviser and mentor.
"I [eventually] want to get a Ph.D. in counseling and work with athletes,'' Wedemeyer said. "I want to stay involved in youth sports.''
No one who knows Wedemeyer is even suggesting that she won't do exactly what she's planning to do.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. Liz Wedemeyer, who grew up in Roanoke,by CNBstarred on the Patrick Henry High School team and was the first girl
from this area to be chosen for the state Olympic Development
Program team. color.