Waukegan senior midfielder Anabel Lopez doesn’t take college for granted.
Crediting her parents, Lidia Ruiz and Tomas Lopez, for pushing her, Anabel Lopez wants to be a trendsetter in her family.
“My cousin is the only one of our family to attend college,” she said. “We have a big family. One of the biggest reasons I want to go to college besides soccer is for my family, to let them see me be successful and make them proud.”
Waukegan coach Rachel Bravo said Lopez is capable of achieving anything she sets her mind to do. Lopez was among the final nominees for Waukegan’s senior athlete of the year, and she received the Distinguished Athlete Award, an honor sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps. Lopez also ranks in the top 10% in her class of more than 1,000 students, Bravo said.
“She puts a lot of effort into her schoolwork and does a lot of extra work,” Bravo said. “She’s had to overcome a lot of obstacles. We’ve never had to worry about her grades. She stands out in the classroom. She’s done everything she can to be prepared for college.”
Lopez also works hard on the field, according to Bravo.
“She is a very aggressive player,” Bravo said. “She puts 110% into her play. She goes hard and plays fast.”
Lopez, a two-time captain, has two goals and four assists for the Bulldogs (7-5-3) this season. But junior midfielder Regina Rosales said Lopez’s value to the team goes beyond statistics. Lopez’s intelligence, work ethic and leadership traits inspire younger players, a group that includes three freshmen and five sophomores.
“She always has energy to keep the team motivated before, during and after every game,” Rosales said. “Ana is an amazing role model in school and on the field. She always shows up for her team every single day. She’ll always have something very productive and helpful to say about our games and how we can do better.”
Bravo said Lopez displayed leadership qualities as early as the summer before her freshman season, when she attended Waukegan’s annual camp.
“We don’t get a huge turnout for our summer program,” Bravo said. “But Anabel went to the program, so I got to see her that summer. She had a bold personality and was not shy going into her freshman year.”
Showing her ongoing dedication to the team, Lopez has continued to play this season even after suffering a sprained lateral collateral ligament.
“The trainer told her to sit, but she didn’t want to sit out for those couple of weeks at the least,” Bravo said. “She has not slowed down.”
Lopez, a member of Waukegan’s cheerleading team the past two years, said she has no plans to watch from the sidelines. The Bulldogs won four in a row after a 2-1 loss to Lake Forest on April 18. Before that game, they hadn’t scored a goal against the Scouts since the two programs started the annual North Suburban Conference series in 2017.
“I’ve been playing through the pain,” Lopez said. “It hurts sometimes. But I’m pretty excited for the season. It’s my last year playing. I want to go out hard. I’m trying to stay focused, getting my conditioning good and staying healthy mentally and physically. I’m really excited for the rest of the season.”
Bobby Narang is a freelance reporter for the News-Sun.
