Merced County soccer star makes her college choice official. She had many options
When El Capitan High soccer star Anaya Shelton visited the University of the Pacific campus this past summer she already felt a part of the team.
Shelton couldn’t get over how the coaches and players treated her during her visit.
When it came time to pick her college, that feeling stuck with her.
On Thursday afternoon, Shelton made her college choice official when she signed her national letter of intent to accept a full-ride scholarship to attend and play soccer at the University of the Pacific in Stockton.
“The biggest thing for me was how welcoming they were when I visited,” Shelton said. “The girls showed me around the campus. I just had this welcoming feeling where I felt I was going to be safe and secure there. They took me under their wing and that kind of set them apart from other schools.”
Shelton also pointed out UOP’s academics and rising soccer program as reasons that helped sway her decision.
The Tigers program is getting one of the most dynamic players to come out of Merced County in recent years.
Shelton has scored 27 goals this season in just 13 matches to help the Gauchos win their second Central California Conference championship in three seasons. Shelton has also scored four goals in two playoff games to help lead El Capitan to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division III semifinals on Friday against top-seeded Vista Del Lago at 6 p.m.
Shelton is the all-time leading scorer at El Capitan with 127 goals in 60 career matches.
On Thursday she was surrounded by family, coaches, friends and teammates to celebrate her moment.
“It was very, very special,” Shelton said. “To have family, coaches and teammates there made it a really special moment. I was happy to share it with them. Every kid dreams of going far in their sport and to be headed to a Division I program is big for me.”
Shelton didn’t just put in a lot work on the pitch to make her dream come true. She took care of business in the classroom, compiling a 4.45 GPA. She plans to major in biology or human sciences with the hopes of going to medical school.
Shelton had received interest from over 20 schools, including Fresno State, Oregon State, UC Davis, UC Riverside, Cal State Northridge and St. Mary’s.
One reason Thursday’s signing ceremony was so special is because it’s a culmination of a lot of hard work.
“That’s one thing people don’t understand is how much work goes into getting anywhere in sports in general, not just D1,” Shelton said. “It’s a lot of tears. There’s time where you throw up. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication. There are a lot of days where you don’t feel great but you have to push yourself. My parents had to give up a lot and sacrifice a lot to make this happen.”
