Jenna Lang set a precedent goal after her freshman season and then again after her sophomore season to better the goals that she had accomplished the previous year.
Lang did exactly that, and much more.
The Columbus North junior shattered a couple single-season school records this year. She broke the record for goals in a season with 44 and for individual points (two points for a goal and one point for an assist) in a season with 99.
For her efforts, Lang has been named The Republic Girls Soccer Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.
Lang’s 44 goals in a single season broke Kayleigh Steigerwalt’s mark of 39 set in 2010, and her 99 points in a season broke Steigerwalt’s 85, also set in 2010.
“I just think personally, every year, I try and get better and break what I’ve done in the past year. So freshman year, I had 19 goals, and my sophomore year, I wanted to score more than that, and I did,” Lang said. “I think getting it this year just made me feel really accomplished and set some precedent for next year, as well. I just think it was a personal accomplishment for me that I’ve been working on or had an idea of since I was a freshman.”
The Bull Dogs had one of the more successful seasons in the program’s history. North finished 18-2-1 and was one win shy of its second state finals berth since 2010, when it finished as the state runner-up.
Lang said the team’s bonding and the team chemistry played a huge role in making the season a successful one.
“There was something set from the beginning of the season that if we wanted to make it far, we have to be close, and it wasn’t just close on the field, but off the field, as well,” Lang said. “I think just building those friendships and not carrying drama or unnecessary things on the field or off the field. Just being there for each other and supporting each other and just building that team chemistry helped with our play on the field, as well.”
Lang was one of the co-captains for the Bull Dogs. Coach David Young said that Lang was more of an “unspoken leader” last year, and this year, she let her play lead them during games and was more of a vocal leader, too.
“At games, she would settle the team down. At trainings, probably the biggest thing that we found different this year from last year was that she forced players to push each other,” Young said. “Even in the postseason this year, the day before a game, we were going 20 to 30 minutes at 100 percent. There were days where we took days off, but even the day before the semistate game, we were going 100 percent, and she would force people to do that with her leadership.”
Lang grew up in a successful family of soccer and learned the game through her sisters Hayden and Addy and watching both of them play during their high school careers. Hayden played at Columbus East, while Addy played for North.
Hayden went to semistate for the Olympians in 2013, and Addy matched that feat in 2016 for the Bull Dogs. Jenna joined the company of her sisters in making her semistate appearance this year.
After cheering on her sisters in her youth, it became full-circle when Jenna mentioned that Addy came to Seymour to watch and cheer her on during the semistate game against Guerin Catholic.
“It was just cool that we all have gotten to that point, but it was cool because my sister Addy actually came and watched that game,” Lang said. “My sister Hayden lives in Colorado, so she was unable to, but it was just cool kind of playing in front of (Addy) and having us all get to that point in our high school careers.”
After North won the sectional title, in the week leading up to the regional, Lang made her college commitment to play for the University of Michigan. Not wanting to distract the team from its regional title quest, she held off on announcing her decision.
After the Bull Dogs won a thrilling 2-1 comeback victory over Bloomington South in the regional final, Lang announced on social media later that night her commitment to the Maize and Blue.
Lang is excited at the opportunity that will come her way in 2022 and has already set some goals.
“I hope to play as soon as I get there and just hope to contribute to the program and what they’ve already done,” Lang said. “I would love to make an appearance in the College Cup and try to make it further in the tournament and possibly win the Big Ten Tournament.”
It’s no days off from soccer for Lang. In the offseason, she plays for the Indy Premier Soccer Club, which is run by former Columbus Express Soccer Club Director of Coaching Kenrick Ramirez. She practices with Indy Premier three days a week, with tournaments being played during the weekends.
Once Lang is prepared for her senior year of soccer for the Bull Dogs, her main goals will be improving and building upon the previous year.
“I think obviously, making it further than we did the previous year,” Lang said. “… So that’s probably our goals and being conference champs again, as well, just building on previous years.”
Lang is proud of what her team accomplished this season.
“I think we definitely worked for each other throughout every game, throughout the postseason and regular season,” Lang said. “I just think that it was a team effort, and we wouldn’t have been able to get as far as we did without being close together, not only playing, but just off the field, as well.”
