Kacey Smekrud

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Kacey Smekrud
Personal information
Full name Kacey Morgan Smekrud
Date of birth (1999-11-28) November 28, 1999 (age 26)
Place of birth La Grange, Kentucky, USA
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.81 m)
Position Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Sporting JAX
Number 33
Youth career
Kentucky Fire Juniors
2014–2018 Oldham County Colonels
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2018–2021 Charleston Cougars 49 (3)
2022 Clemson Tigers 7 (0)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2018–2023 Cincinnati Sirens FC (4+)
2021 Racing Louisville (USLW)
2023–2024 Lexington SC (USLW) 4 (0)
2025 Åland United 23 (1)
2026– Sporting JAX 3 (0)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kacey Morgan Smekrud (born November 28, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Sporting JAX of the USL Super League.

Contents

She played collegiate soccer at the College of Charleston, where she also competed in track and field, and at Clemson University. She has previously played professionally for Åland United in Finland's Kansallinen Liiga.

Early life and youth career

Smekrud began playing soccer as a child while living in Iceland, where her father was stationed with the United States Air Force. [1]

She graduated from Oldham County High School, earning all-region honors three times and being named to the all-state second team as a senior. She also played five years for Kentucky Fire Juniors, helping the club reach back-to-back Kentucky State Cup appearances, including one state championship. [1]

College career

College of Charleston

In 2018, she appeared in 11 matches as a freshman and made her first collegiate start against Winthrop. She scored her first career goal against Wake Forest and recorded 12 shots, including five on goal. [1]

As a sophomore in 2019, she played in 17 matches with seven starts and logged 818 minutes, taking 11 shots with three on target. [1]

The 2020–21 season was played in spring 2021 due to COVID-19 protocols, and she started all nine matches, leading the team with two goals and four points. She scored against Florida and Clemson and finished the season with 10 shots, seven of them on goal. [1]

In 2021, she appeared in 12 matches with four starts, totaling 350 minutes. [1]

In addition to soccer, Smekrud also competed for the College of Charleston's track and field team where she specialized in the 800 metres. She ranks sixth in school history in the indoor 800 and fifth in the outdoor 800, with a personal best of 2:15.77 set at the 2022 Duke Invitational. She also competed in the 800 at the 2022 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Championships, recording a time of 2:18.47. [2]

Clemson University

In 2022, Smekrud transferred to Clemson as a redshirt senior. She appeared in seven matches for the Tigers, totaling 160 minutes played. She recorded three shots on the season, including a season-high two shots against Boston College on October 23, 2022, and logged a season-high 41 minutes against Campbell on August 21, 2022. [3]

Pre-professional career

Before turning professional, Smekrud played for several semi-professional and developmental clubs in the United States. She competed with the Cincinnati Sirens in the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and Premier Arena Soccer League (PASL). Later, she transitioned to the USL W League, playing for Racing Louisville and Lexington SC. During Lexington's inaugural season, she recorded an assist in the club's first-ever road win—a 6–2 victory over St. Charles FC on June 4, 2023. [4] [5]

Professional career

Åland United

Following her collegiate and pre-professional career, Smekrud signed her first professional contract with Åland United in Finland. The club competes in the Kansallinen Liiga, the top tier of women's soccer in Finland. Her move marked her first experience playing professionally outside the United States. [6] She scored her first professional goal against PK-35 Vantaa on October 11, 2025. [7] [8]

During the 2025 season, she made 23 league appearances and scored 1 goal for the club. [9] [10] During her time with Åland, she was awarded the Kansallinen Liiga's Defender of the Month in November 2025. [11]

Sporting JAX

In January 2026, Smekrud signed with Sporting JAX of the USL Super League, a Division I professional women's league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer. She joined the club midway through the team's inaugural season, marking her return to professional soccer in the United States. [5] [10]

Career statistics

College

As of match played October 23, 2022
SeasonGPGSGAPTSSHSOG
Charleston Cougars
2018111102125
2019177000113
202099204107
202112400061
Clemson Tigers
20227000031
Career total56213064217

Professional

As of match played February 11, 2026 [12]
ClubSeasonDivisionLeagueCupPlayoffsTotal
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Åland United 2025 Flag of Finland.svg Kansallinen Liiga 231——231
Sporting JAX 2026– Flag of the United States.svg USL Super League 30——30
Career total261——261

* League and club divisions based on publicly available sources.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "28 Kacey Smekrud". CofCSports.com. College of Charleston. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Kacey Smekrud". CofCSports.com. College of Charleston. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Kacey Smekrud". ClemsonTigers.com. Clemson University. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  4. ↑ Gough, Lyndsey (June 4, 2023). "Lexington Sporting Club Women Earn First Road Win". WKYT.com. WKYT. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  5. 1 2 Bunker, Chase (January 13, 2026). "Sporting JAX signs loanee, adds two to women's team for second half of the season". ActionNewsJax.com. Cox Media Group, Inc. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  6. ↑ Svensson, Elias (December 12, 2024). "ÅU värvar mångsidig amerikanska" [ÅU recruits diverse American]. AlandsRadio.ax (in Swedish). ARTV. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  7. ↑ Jonsson, Thomas (October 11, 2025). "Kacey Smekrud löste upp bronsknuten" [Kacey Smekrud untied the bronze knot]. Alandstidningen.ax (in Swedish). Alandstidningen.ax. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  8. ↑ Ågren, Johan (October 11, 2025). "Åland United säkrade bronset hemma på WHA" [Åland United secured bronze at home at the WHA]. AlandsRadio.ax (in Swedish). ARTV. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  9. ↑ Jonsson, Thomas (December 3, 2025). "Smekrud nästa att lämna Åland United" [Smekrud next to leave Åland United]. Alandstidningen.ax (in Swedish). Alandstidningen. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  10. 1 2 Sundqvist, Victor (February 3, 2026). "Mittbacken vänder hem igen" [The center-back is coming home again.]. Alandstidningen.ax (in Swedish). Alandstidningen. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  11. ↑ Sundqvist, Victor (November 18, 2025). "ÅU:are bland månadens spelare" [ÅU players among the players of the month]. Alandstidningen.ax (in Swedish). Alandstidningen. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Kacey Smekrud - Soccerway". soccerway.com.
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