Brenna Skillern (11/12/2012) - Athlete Awards - Oklahoma City University Athletics

Athlete Awards

Athletes of the Week

Brenna Skillern

Award

Athletes of the Week
Week Of

11/12/2012
Sport

Women's Soccer
Bio

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After helping the Oklahoma City University women’s soccer team to back-to-back-to-back Sooner Athletic Conference regular-season titles, senior Brenna Skillern was named SAC defense player of the year for the third time.
“It means a lot because it is easy to get recognition as a forward because you score goals,” Skillern said. “If you score the most goals obviously you’re one the best forwards in the conference. Keepers can get saves that build up their stats, but as a defender you don’t really get any stats. I am honored to know that people recognize my hard work.”
Skillern, a defender from Yukon, Okla., scored a goal and passed out three assists so far in 2012 and is this week’s Super Star of the week.
“I am the team captain and I play center halfback,” Skillern said. “I just pick up whatever trash happens to get through the back line. It is very rare that it does, but that is what I am there for.”
Skillern anchors an OCU defense that has allowed just five goals so far this season and set a new OCU record for shutouts in a season with 16.
“I was always told growing up in soccer that if you can keep a team from scoring you should win the game, and so I have always held that as a standard,” Skillern said. “As a defense we have only allowed five goals and I think that has helped us be successful this year. Our forwards are capable of scoring a lot of goals and if we can keep people from scoring I have all the trust in the world in our forwards.”
The Stars picked up the SAC Tournament title with a 1-0 victory over Oklahoma Baptist on Nov. 8 and earned their third straight trip to the NAIA Championships.
“I think if we play the way we have played throughout conference play we’ll be fine,” Skillern said. “If we can keep the fast movement and keep our heads in the game, we can come out with one of the best seasons that OCU has ever had.”
Skillern, a marketing major, chose OCU for one reason.
“It was soccer,” Skillern said. “Coach Harvey recruited me really well and they were going to give me the best opportunity to play soccer and better my education. A lot of my club coaches played here for Harvey, and he was always around at every tournament.”

More on Brenna:
Career plans: Win an Olympic gold medal in synchronized diving with my sister
My pet peeve: When people wear leggings as pants
Favorite team: Team Jacob
Best advice I have ever gotten: Be weird because normal doesn’t work
In 10 years you’ll see me: As a soccer momma

Athlete Awards
Date	Athlete	Sport
2/6/2012	Miguel Beltran	Baseball
1/30/2012	Kidd Gomez	#6 Men's Wrestling
1/23/2012	Lauren Gober	Women's Basketball
1/16/2012	Orlan Jackman	Men's Basketball
1/9/2012	Jennifer Page	#12 Women's Wrestling
11/28/2011	Tiffany Goldwire	Women's Basketball
11/14/2011	Kayla MacKenzie	Women's Basketball
11/7/2011	Raechel Brown	#22 Women's Cross Country
10/31/2011	Adam Black	Men's Soccer
10/24/2011	Blerta Rashica	Women's Soccer
10/17/2011	Jessica Schiele	#19 Women's Golf
10/10/2011	Pauric McLaughlin	Men's Cross Country
10/3/2011	Tessa Plana	#12 Women's Wrestling
9/26/2011	Alex Miller	Competitive Cheerleading
9/19/2011	Allie Glazner	Women's Soccer
9/12/2011	Victoria Cross	Volleyball
4/25/2011	Rich Hawkins	Baseball
4/18/2011	Kirk Walker	Baseball
4/11/2011	Julien Pollard	Baseball
4/4/2011	Lily LaVelle	#2 Softball