Athlete of the year signs with Seawolves soccer
Author: R. Oram
Posted on Jul 13, 2023
Category: Soccer , ACAA , Varsity Sports
Makena MacDonald has officially signed with the UNB Saint John Seawolves women’s soccer team for the 2023 varsity season.
MacDonald comes to UNB Saint John from Bedford, Nova Scotia, and will graduate from Charles P Allen School. A decorated athlete, Makena was recently named Female Athlete of the Year of her high school, the largest in Nova Scotia. This is in large part due to her successes in a variety of sports besides soccer. Female rookie of the year in cross country, JV girls basketball MVP and a silver medal in the Nova Scotia provincial 4x400 are just a few of the awards that showcase MacDonald’s versatility as an athlete.
From a young age, sports have been a constant in MacDonald’s life. “Sports have allowed me to build a support system as a member of various teams and has allowed me to meet new people,” said Makena. “Sports have helped me enormously with stress management and always will be a way for me to take my mind off things, exert my energy or frustration productively and offer me an opportunity to stay healthy mentally and physically.”
Seawolves head coach PJ Ward discovered MacDonald through one of his coaching connections. “Her athleticism comes from playing as a winger. She will bring a more consistent technical ability to the squad,” said the coach. “Her attitude and work ethic and recent progression with her club make her capable of making more improvements to her game.” Coach Ward also thinks Makena’s ability to create goal-scoring opportunities as a winger will help add to the Seawolves’ win column.
MacDonald was drawn to UNB Saint John by the strong science program and small class sizes, which will be beneficial for her future career. “I will be taking a Bachelor of Science,” said the recruit. “I’m trying to keep my options open but will most likely pursue a career in sports medicine.”
Makena’s goals for the season are to “make a positive impact on the team on and off the field,” improve her technical skills, and “play a part in winning a championship.” She has a great chance to fulfill these goals given her drive to compete and improve. “I am passionate about sports because I love to compete, particularly as part of a team. I enjoy striving to improve in any sport I am involved in. I always give 100% and don’t stop playing until the final whistle.”
Welcome to the Seawolves Family, Makena!