Newton’s Blom, Telepnev sign to play WPU soccer

Addy Blom and Branden Telepnev have the same passion about soccer. They are heading into their senior seasons for Newton High School this spring. Neither one wanted to give up playing the sport at the end of their high school career.

Blom and Telepnev were drawn to William Penn University in Oskaloosa and the Statesmen soccer program. On Wednesday, the two Newton High seniors signed to play soccer for William Penn, a NAIA program.

Blom is going to play soccer and basketball at William Penn. She steps into the role of varsity goalkeeper for the Newton girls’ soccer team this season after being the Cardinal junior varsity goalkeeper and backup varsity keeper the past three seasons.

In Blom’s freshman season for Newton, she recorded 13 saves and allowed no goals in limited varsity action. She allowed six goals and had 42 saves in varsity play as a sophomore but had no goalie statistics in limited varsity play in three games as a junior.

“I have a love for soccer and I didn’t want to have to end my career in high school. I also have a love for basketball. They are my passions. I not ready to give up on those sports,” Blom said. “William Penn felt like home when I visited the campus. The coaches and professors are very nice. I’m excited for this opportunity.”

Jaymee Highcock is the head soccer coach for both William Penn’s women and men’s soccer teams. He said they saw Blom play in a recent high school tournament hosted by William Penn.

“Addy is a great girl. She has great characteristics as a goalkeeper — very vocal, leads well, has a good range of shot stopping and a good distribution of moving her feet,” Highcock said. “We’re excited to have her coming into the program.”

Highcock will be directing the Statesmen soccer programs for a fourth season this fall. The women were 9-8-1 in 2017 and went 5-6 in the Heart of America Athletic Association. WPU’s men were 10-8-1 and 6-6 last fall.

“Branden is a very talented young athlete who is athletic and very fast,” Highcock said. “On his visit, he showed the staff his willingness to get better. Branden has a bright future. When we recruit athletes from high school or even junior college, they may play one position. We’ll get them there, evaluate them and find how they fit into our team. I see Branden as an outside back or mid position.”

Telepnev chose William Penn because he saw the same passion for sports in the Statesmen’s programs as he has.

“William Penn is a good university and it has a good soccer coaching staff,” Telepnev said. “I’ve been playing soccer since I was 5. I don’t think I’ll every get enough of it. Soccer is the best sport there is. I’ll take into the William Penn program a good understanding of the game. It’s a good fit for me.”

Telepnev is the son of Heidi and Randy Kirkpatrick. He said he plans to major in athletic training or exercise science at WPU.

Blom is the daughter of Dede Blom and Larry and Jill Blom. She said she will pursue a degree in human services and coaching.

Blom will play for the WPU women’s basketball team during the winter season after a fall soccer season. She said she wasn’t sure what her role will be on the basketball court.

“I’ll do whatever they want me to and bring my best to the court. I’ll be on the junior varsity team at least for the first year or two because of the overlap with soccer,” Blom said.

Blom, who is 5-foot-7 inches, came off the Newton bench much of the 2017-18 basketball season. She scored 64 points while shooting 47 percent from the field. She shot 63 percent from the free-throw line, going 19-of-30. She was fourth on the Cardinal team in rebounding with 72 and had 12 steals.

William Penn’s women went 23-9 overall and 15-9 in HOA play under first-year head coach Steve Williamson and assistant coach Jade Rogers.

Contact Jocelyn Sheets at
641-792-3121 ext. 6535
or jsheets@newtondailynews.com