The soccer season is about halfway over, and as of February 3 the varsity girls’ team was in third place in the Palomar League with a record of 10-4-1. Mikes has contributed to the team by uplifting the team, making goals and backing up her teammates. 

    Senior Tiana Mikes has been playing soccer since she was 7 years old, playing right winger and sometimes forward and left winger as well. 

After playing for Poway High since she was a freshman, she moved up to varsity this year. She also plays on the San Diego Soccer Club Surf team during the off-season. 

   Mikes earned Player of the Week on January 9 for her hard work and determination on the field. Mikes had been playing hard and feeling confident on the field to where she scored 2 goals that game.  “I feel confident and it brings up my enthusiasm for soccer. Every award or trophy has made me more motivated to play,” said Mikes. 

Mikes is deciding between which colleges she would like to attend, she has been accepted to Concordia University Irvine, Cal State University San Marcos, and Cal State Fullerton. She is planning on trying out for the Cal State San Marcos club team or the University of Irvine as those are her top two choices. 

School, sports, family, friends, and senior activities can be very overwhelming. “I balance school sports and my outside activities by putting school first. If I have an assignment I will try to do it the day before or the day of, I will go to practice or a game and then study after,” Mikes said. 

Mikes also inspires others by uplifting her teammates with passionate words when they are having a tough game and during school life in general. 

   “Tiana is an amazing teammate because she is always putting in the work on and off the field,” said junior Ashyln Dunlap. 

They also appreciate her sense of humor as it puts her teammates at ease so they can refocus on the game. “Off the field, Tiana is one of the funniest people ever, she’s always down for a good time and her laugh is contagious,” said senior Hailey Vermilyea.