New London athlete to play college soccer
By Scott Bellile
A record-breaking New London Bulldog is headed to Tulsa, Oklahoma, this fall to play college soccer.
New London High School senior Marina Solberg, daughter of John and Camille Solberg, signed her letter of intent to play for Oral Roberts University’s women’s soccer team on Friday, Feb. 5.
Solberg will play in the Summit League athletic conference, competing against conference teams such as the University of Denver, University of Nebraska-Omaha, and North Dakota State University.
“She always dreamed of playing at a Division 1 school,” Camille Solberg said.
A starter on the New London girls’ varsity soccer team for the three years, Marina Solberg has played midfield and forward. Last season she set the NLHS record for most goals scored in a single season (34) since the girls’ program started in 2000. She’s earned Second Team All-Bay Conference recognition for two consecutive years.
“Marina is the perfect representation of what a Bulldogs student athlete is,” New London High School Athletic Director Brian Yerkey said. He commended her three-sport athleticism (she also plays tennis and basketball) and her “phenomenal” 3.969 grade-point average.
Marina Solberg and her teammates play for the most successful girls’ soccer team in the NLHS team’s 16-year history. The Bulldogs, coached by Joe Messina, advanced to the WIAA Division 3 sectional final in Rice Lake on June 13, 2015. There they fell short of a state trip when Ashland defeated them 6-1.
Marina Solberg also plays club soccer for the U18 Appleton Soccer Club team and competed in the Wisconsin Soccer Olympic Development Program.
A brief speech she gave prior to signing her letter revealed little about herself, focusing instead on the coaches, family and friends who guided her growing up.
“All of you are here because each one of you has helped shape me into the person I am today, and really that has had a huge influence on my life and a big positive influence,” she said. “After all this, although this day might be for me … I wouldn’t be sitting at this table without you guys.”
Marina Solberg became familiar with Oral Roberts through soccer camps she attended there in high school. She said she’s excited about the competitiveness and the edge playing at Oral Roberts will bring, even if that means putting in her time on the bench as she works her way up.
She’s undecided on a college major but is considering convergence journalism.