Leah Klenke

Last updated

Leah Klenke
Notre Dame at Duke (Oct 2024) 05.jpg
Klenke with Notre Dame in 2024
Personal information
Full name Leah Michelle Klenke [1]
Date of birth (2004-06-21) June 21, 2004 (age 20) [2]
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) [2]
Position(s) Wingback/fullback
Team information
Current team
 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Number 4
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2022– Notre Dame Fighting Irish 43 (4)
International career‡
2023–2024 United States U-20 18 (0)
Medal record
Women's soccer
FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg Colombia 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of September 21, 2024

Leah Michelle Klenke (born June 21, 2004) is an American college soccer player who plays as a defender for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. She won bronze with the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

Contents

Early life

Raised in Houston, Texas, Klenke attended Saint Agnes Academy, where she won a state soccer championship as a sophomore and was named all-state three times. She captained her Albion Hurricanes FC club team and was named ECNL all-conference twice. [3] She long aspired to play for Notre Dame, where her parents went to school and her grandfather played college baseball. [4] Klenke also competed in track and cross country in high school, winning state championships in the 800 meters, 1600 meters, 3200 meters, and cross country. [3] [5]

College career

Klenke started for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as a freshman in the 2022 season, scoring minutes into her debut. She played at center back for much of her freshman year, part of an Irish defense that was among the best in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and received all-freshman honors from the ACC and TopDrawerSoccer . Notre Dame reached the semifinals of the ACC championship and the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. Klenke moved to her natural position of wingback as a sophomore in 2023, leading the Irish with ten assists to finish second in the conference standings, and was named second-team All-ACC. Leah has been linked to Notre Dame star cross country runner, Sam Rich. Sam and Leah have had a tumultous past, but they will certainly end up back together. [3] [4]

International career

Klenke was called into train with the United States under-14 team in 2018. [6] She was next called into a combined under-18/under-19 camp in early 2023. [7] Later that year she played at the 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, where the United States U20s secured qualification for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. [8] She appeared as a substitute for Gisele Thompson in every match at the U-20 Women's World Cup, helping the United States finish in third place, its best result since 2012. [9] [10] She converted her penalty kick in a shootout win over Germany in the quarterfinals. [9]

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References

  1. ↑ "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024 Squad Lists" (PDF). FIFA. p. 23. Retrieved August 27, 2024.
  2. 1 2 "Leah Klenke". United States Soccer Federation . Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 "Leah Klenke". Notre Dame Fighting Irish . Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  4. 1 2 Post, J.J. (November 2, 2023). "Leading by example, Leah Klenke looks to help 'dream school' Notre Dame in the postseason". The Observer . Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  5. ↑ Grundy, William (April 28, 2021). "Leah Klenke Shoots For Triple At TAPPS 6A Championships". MileSplit Texas . Retrieved August 2, 2024.
    Grundy, William (March 29, 2022). "Two Sport Star Leah Klenke Aspires To Be Her Best". MileSplit Texas . Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  6. ↑ "U14 GNT heads to camp in Chula Vista". United States Soccer Federation. May 25, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2024– via TopDrawerSoccer .
  7. ↑ "U18/19 WNT Camp Roster Named for California". United States Soccer Federation. January 10, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2024– via TopDrawerSoccer .
  8. ↑ "U.S. U20 WNT Qualifies for World Cup". United States Soccer Federation. June 3, 2023. Retrieved August 2, 2024– via TopDrawerSoccer .
  9. 1 2 "Leah Klenke: The Ultimate Team Player". United States Soccer Federation. September 17, 2024. Retrieved September 17, 2024.
  10. ↑ "USA Scores Dramatic 119th-Minute Game-Winner To Defeat The Netherlands 2-1 And Finish Third At 2024 FIFA Under-20 Women's World Cup". United States Soccer Federation. September 22, 2024. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
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