The Kodiaks women’s soccer adds versatile student-athlete to its program

The Lethbridge Polytechnic Kodiaks women’s soccer team has signed local Kiara Jankowiak to its roster for the upcoming season.

Jankowiak grew up in Lethbridge and played for Lethbridge Football Club (LFC). She graduated from Catholic Central High School where she was honoured as the school’s female athlete of the year in 2022.

She attended Medicine Hat College where she played for their women’s basketball team for the 2022-23 season. Coming to Lethbridge Polytechnic this year, she has enrolled in General Arts and Science.

Kodiaks head coach Sean Carey coached Jankowiak in youth soccer through. Over the past summer, she played in the Alberta Major Soccer League (AMSL) where she found the love of the sport again.

Carey talked with Jankowiak in May about her interest in joining the Kodiaks for the upcoming season. Those conversations and her experience playing with a lot of Kodiaks in AMSL over the summer convinced her to commit to the team.

Carey says she is a versatile athlete who can play both goalkeeper and centre-back equally well.

“I chose the Lethbridge Kodiaks because of the coaching staff and overall dynamic of the team,” says Jankowiak. “Everyone wants to be there and is happy to work hard. It makes me want to become a better player.”

The Kodiaks have had tough preseason matchups, trying out new lines. So far, Jankowiak has been playing out in the field for those games and has proven to be a strong player for the team.

“Hopefully she’s settling in and will be staying with us for a long stint of time,” says Carey

Kodiaks coaches actively recruit high school athletes around Alberta and neighbouring provinces.  If one of our coaches hasn’t spoken to you yet, don’t worry. Simply fill out the form (https://gokodiaks.ca/recruitment) and they would be pleased to learn more about you.