Chatsworth Had One and Only

CHATSWORTH —  Judd Bogust, Crescenta Valley High’s girls’ soccer coach, thought he was seeing double last December. But it was only Kim Pickup at full speed.

“I could have sworn she had a twin sister,” Bogust said of the Chatsworth defender. “She was everywhere. One minute she was defending and the next minute she was taking a shot on goal.”

No, coach, there is only one Kim Pickup, and she is The Times’ girls’ soccer player of the year. Chatsworth’s 5-foot-9 senior was the best player on a team that overwhelmed City Section opponents, going undefeated and winning the 4-A Division title.

After tying Crescenta Valley in the season opener, the Chancellors finished with 19 consecutive victories, most of them by significant margins.

A center fullback her first two years on varsity, Pickup asked Chatsworth Coach Jack Sidwell after the Crescenta Valley game if she could play midfield. Sidwell agreed and an already strong team was transformed into a juggernaut.

“We gained a lot more offense and it turned the whole team completely around,” Sidwell said. “Kim knows what she’s going to do with the ball before she gets it.”

Pickup had 15 goals and made 22 assists. Chatsworth manhandled its League A rivals and outscored its three playoff opponents, 25-0.

“[Pickup] was the most physically dominant player we faced all year,” said Bogust, whose team is an annual championship contender in the Southern Section’s Division II. “She has more weapons than anyone else.”

Pickup’s most noticeable characteristic is the unique style she has for throw-ins. She performs a front handspring using the ball as a base, then catapults throws up to 50 yards. But it is her powerful shot, tremendous ball-handling skills and feisty demeanor that earned her a scholarship to Santa Clara.

“She’ll be one of the few freshmen players to start on a [NCAA] Division I championship contender,” said Bogust, also a USC assistant. “Anybody that plays against her is going to know who she is right away.”

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GIRLS’ FIRST TEAM ALL-STARS

LAUREN ARASE

La Canada, Goalkeeper

Freshman

* Third-team All-Southern Section Division II. Made 19 saves in first-round playoff upset of Crescenta Valley.

STACEY JENSEN

La Reina, Defender

Junior

* Named All-Tri-Valley League, All-Southern Section Division IV. Had six goals, seven assists.

MEGAN MUNDAY

Buena, Defender

Junior

* Selected All-Channel League, All-Southern Section Division II. Helped Bulldogs to division semifinals.

NIKKI ROUSE

Palmdale, Defender

Senior

* Golden League player of the year, third-team All-Southern Section Division III. Also played forward, scoring four goals with five assists.

BARBARA ALMARAZ

Buena, Midfielder

Junior

* Selected All-Channel League, second-team All-Southern Section Division II. Had 15 goals, 12 assists.

KIM DAWS

Louisville, Midfielder

Senior

* Parade Magazine All-American had six goals, eight assists. Named second-team All-Southern Section Division II.

MICHELLE GEORGE

Chatsworth, Midfielder

Senior

* Key part of Chancellors’ dominant midfield. Had 14 goals, 14 assists for City Section’s best team.

TWILA KAUFMAN

Harvard-Westlake, Midfielder

Sophomore

* Defensive midfielder led Wolverines’ counter-attack. Selected All-Mission League, second-team All-Southern Section Division II.

JESSICA POST

Harvard-Westlake, Forward

Senior

* Mission League player of the year had 29 goals, 15 assists. Selected All-Southern Section Division II.

KRISTIE NAKAMURA

Thousand Oaks, Forward

Junior

* Selected Marmonte League offensive player of the year, named All-Southern Section Division I. Had 19 goals, five assists.

STEPHANIE RIGAMAT

Crescenta Valley, Forward

Junior

* Pacific League co-player of the year, selected All-Southern Section Division II. Scored school-record 39 goals.

THE SECOND TEAM

KIM NELLI

Chaminade, Goalkeeper

Sophomore

* Top player in Mission League at her position.

SHANNON SMITH

La Canada, Defender

Senior

* Second-team All-Southern Section Division II.

SUSAN SHIVOKEVICH

Thousand Oaks, Defender

Sophomore

* Marmonte League Defensive Player of the Year. Had seven goals, helped Lancers post 13 shutouts.

HEIDI REINHARD

Crescenta Valley, Defender

Senior

* Named All-Pacific League. Had five goals, helped Falcons post school-record 15 shutouts.

THERESA BARTHOLOMEW

Royal, Midfielder

Senior

* Second-team All-Southern Section Division I, All-Marmonte League. Had 14 goals, 13 assists.

SAMANTHA CONROY

La Reina, Midfielder

Senior

* Had 24 goals, 22 assists. Second-team All-Southern Section Division IV, All-Tri-Valley League.

CHRISSY PIKE

St. Bonaventure, Midfielder

Freshman

* Had eight goals, 11 assists. Third-team All-Southern Section Division IV, All-Tri-Valley League.

LAURA QUALLS

Hart

Midfielder, Junior

* Foothill League Player of the Year, third-team All-Southern Section. Had 13 goals, 16 assists.

YVONNE AYALA

Quartz Hill, Forward

Senior

* All-Golden League selection. Had 20 goals, 12 assists.

KRISTINA QUIROZ

Buena, Forward

Senior

* Channel League player of the year. Had 10 goals, 10 assists. Made All-Southern Section Division II.

CANDE RUIZ

Santa Clara, Forward

Junior

* Frontier League’s best forward had 22 goals, 27 assists. Third-team All-Southern Section Division IV.