Jena Kluegel

Position:
Midfielder
Height:
5-3
Class:
Junior
Hometown:
Mahtomedi, Minn.
High School:
Mahtomedi

General -— A top candidate for National Player of the Year honors in 2001... currently a member of the United States National Team... had earned three caps with the National Team through the end of the 2000 season... simply stated Kluegel is one of the top players in the nation... has already moved into 18th place in career assists at Carolina and with another year like last season she will finish in the Top Five in that statistic for UNC... a three-year returning starter for the Tar Heels in the midfield unit... plays an incredible left halfback for Carolina... a top-flight incoming recruit who was even better than expected as a freshman... was a third-team Freshman All-America selection and then broke out with a standout sophomore campaign and an even better junior season... has started all 75 games in which she has played for the Tar Heels over the past three seasons... has 17 goals in her career and an impressive total of 37 career assists... has scored five game-winning goals in her career.

National Team Experience -- Spent most of 2000 training with the U.S. National Team at the residency camp in San Diego... earned three caps in her first year on the National Team in 2000... termed by one observer as "a future star of the U.S. National Team"... competed for the U.S. under-21 National Team in the summer of 2000 at the Nordic Cup Championship... was a member of the 1999 United States Pan American Games women's soccer team which won the gold medal in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Club/ODP Soccer -— Played club soccer for 12 years as a midfielder and forward... soccer club team won the state cup championship from 1994-98 and was a regional finalist in 1996... it also won the Columbia Invitational in 1996 and 1998... individually she was a member of the regional team 1994-98, the under-16 national pool in 1994, the under-17 national team in 1996 at the Soccer Festival in San Antonio, Texcas and the under-20 national pool in 1997 and 1998.

2000 Season -- Could not have been more spectacular during her junior year... started all 24 games during the Tar Heels' run to the 2000 national championship... scored three goals, including one game winner... but more amazing was her assist total of 23 in 24 games... finished the season with 29 points... ranked sixth in the ACC in points scored with 29 and she led the ACC in assists with 23... she was also sixth in the ACC in scoring average at 1.21 points per game and she led the ACC in assists per game at 0.96... scored her goals last season against Texas A&M, Maryland and against Florida State in the 2000 ACC Tournament semifinals... the goal against Texas A&M was the game-winning tally... twice had four assists in a game last year... had a quartet of assists against Tennessee on September 3 and against Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament second round on November 12, 2000... her four assists in both of those games equaled the most in a game by an Atlantic Coast Conference player in 2001... had three assists in Carolina 6-0 win over Oregon on September 10... had two assists to go along with the goal in the win over Maryland on October 29... recorded single assists against Texas, Texas A&M, Virginia in the regular season, South Carolina, Clemson, TCU, Duke in the regular season, Duke in the ACC Tournament championship game, Virginia in the NCAA Tournament second round and Notre Dame in the NCAA Tournament semifinals... it was Kluegel's corner kick which Kim Patrick headed into the goal with 25 minutes to go which allowed the Tar Heels to tie the Fighting Irish in the national semifinals... a Soccer Buzz first-team All-America selection... was also named first-team All-America by Soccer Times... named a third-team All-America by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America... finished second in NCAA Division I in assists per game last season... named second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference in 2000... named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2000 ACC Tournament... named by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America to the All-Southeast Region Team... was also first-team All-Southeast Region by Soccer Buzz... named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2000 NCAA Final Four... tapped for the UNC Dean's List in the spring semester of 2001... named to the 2000-01 Atlantic Coast Conference Academic Honor Roll.

1999 Season —- Had a breakthrough year for the Tar Heels in 1999... started all 26 games for Carolina as a sophomore... scored 10 goals and had four assists for 24 points... scored the game-winning goals against Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament final and Clemson in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals... also added an assist in that win over the Tigers... had two goals against Florida State in the regular season game and against Central Florida in the NCAA Tournament second round... an honorable mention All-America selection by Soccer Buzz... a first-team All-Southeast Region selection by Soccer Buzz... named to the All-ACC Tournament Team for her outstanding play lead the Tar Heels to another conference title... also named to the All-Tournament Team at the NCAA Championship... her outstanding play earned her a spot on the U.S. National Team's residency camp in San Diego beginning last January... named second-team All-ACC last year.

1998 Season -— Played 25 games for the Tar Heels in 1998, earning a starting assignment all 25 times... third-team Soccer Buzz Freshman All-America... also a Soccer Buzz All-Freshman Southeast Region selection... had four goals and 10 assists for the Tar Heels for 18 points... she scored game-winning goals in UNC victories over Notre Dame and Vanderbilt... her goal in the last 10 minutes gave the Tar Heels a 1-0 win over the Commodores... she scored in the last 10 seconds of the first half to earn the game-winning goal in the win over the Fighting Irish... scored a goal in her first collegiate game against Colorado... also had a key insurance goal in the second overtime of the victory over Duke in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals... had two assists in a game twice last year—against Colorado College and in the NCAA Tournament second round against UNC-Charlotte... named to All-Tournament Team at 1998 Lady Vol Women's Soccer Classic... named to Soccer America Collegiate Team of the Week October 7, 1998.

Prep -— Graduated on June 10, 1998 from Mahtomedi High School... was a middle distance runner in track for six years in school, a cross country runner for three years and a soccer player for three years... was an All-State cross country runner from 1992-94 and All-State track performer from 1992-98... captained the track team in 1998... was the 800 meter state champion in 1994... high school soccer team made state tournament in 1995 and 1997 and won the state championship in 1997... individually as a high school soccer player she was All-State from 1995-97 and All-Metro from 1995-97... she was the All-Metro Player of the Year in 1996 and 1997 and Ms. Soccer of Minnesota in 1997... an All-America selection in 1996 and 1997... Parade Magazine's Co-Player of the Year in 1998... captained team in 1997-98... honor roll student grades 9-12... student government member... member of SADD... National Honor Society member 1997-98... Make A Difference member.

Personal —- Given name is Jena Louise Kluegel... has one brother... was born November 2, 1979 in St. Paul, Minn.... is the daughter of Rand and Sue Kluegel... her father Rand ran track at Mankato State University in Minnesota... her brother Travis ran track at Cornell from 1994-98, captaining the 1998 team... her mother Sue has run in the Twin Cities Marathon... hobbies include playing tennis and shopping... athletes she most admires are Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and Michael Jordan... biggest sports thrill was winning the 800 meters at the state track championship in 1994 because he brother Travis also won the 300 hurdles the same year... undecided on major.