Welker keeps soccer career alive, follows family footsteps to Huntington

brian questel
May 11, 2011
331

051611 Welker Promo: Generals Welker signs with Huntington University to continue soccer career Welker keeps soccer career alive, follows family footsteps to Huntington By Brian Questel Westin Welker followed in his brother footsteps at Wooster High School, so it may not be surprising he followed that path to college. However, while his brother may have laid the groundwork, Welker sealed the deal on his own. The first-team All-Ohio soccer player recently signed with Division I Huntington University, which is located just south of Fort Wayne, Indiana, to continue both his academic and athletic career at the NAIA school. Welker is coming off a strong senior season at midfield as he was first-team Ohio Cardinal Conference as well as being first-team all-district, helping the 12-5 Generals to an 8-1 mark and the league title in OCC play. Huntington is a good fit, said Welker. My brother, Tyler, who also played soccer at Wooster, went there and played one year but went to school there four years, said Welker. I met the coach and Ive been talking to him ever since. I met up with him recently and talked soccer. School-wise, I felt it was the best choice and from a religious aspect, its a Christian college, which was important. It has all I need. The Foresters suffered through a 3-13-2 campaign a year ago, but they are known for soccer, said Welker. They have been pretty successful, he added. Last year was more of a rebuilding year but only three seniors graduated. Three-fourths of the roster was freshmen and sophomores. Welker will remain in the midfield, where he excelled for the Generals the past two seasons. Most of their offense centers around the midfield and most of their plays work through center midfield. (Their coach) is a solid guy and I believe that I could be used efficiently, said Welker. I practiced with them recently and they put me in center mid and right mid, so hes looking for me in the midfield. They may move me back to defense, but mainly Ill be in the midfield. Welker, who carries a 3.5 GPA at Wooster, expects to major in mathematics and take that into engineering, he said. I did get athletic scholarship, he said. Its not a full scholarship, but I can work that into a full. I do have an academic scholarship as well. Head coach Brian Hansen was happy to send another player into the college ranks. He was obviously one of the standouts of our team, said Hansen. As a coach, its nice to see him go on to school. It takes a special player to play in college because its not for everybody. I hope he sticks with it and I think he will. He likes it enough and Im glad he got the opportunity. Hansen watched Welker grow into a standout two-year starter for the Generals. He was a little twig as a freshman, so it was fun to watch him grow physically and mentally, said Hansen. He had the mental part, but he was behind physically. He was so skinny as a freshman. Now hes tall, fast and physical. He plays bigger than he looks. I think he had mental aspect of the game, added Hansen. He was always coachable and was outthinking other players. I think he knew he wasnt the fastest or most skilled, so he had to figure out another way to get the job done. That set him apart from other people. He read the play before the play happened and worked to get into the right position. (In college) everyone will be the same quality -- now the question is can you outthink them? Every coach wishes they didnt have teach the technical aspect of the game at the high-school level and Westin was beyond that. He was ready to be taught the game, not the skills of the game. I can take him aside and talk soccer, not how to trap the ball. Thats why I think he will succeed at the next level.

Welker keeps soccer career alive, follows family footsteps to Huntington

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