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Presnick to end prep career early

The top player in the area has scholarship offers from Florida, Florida State and Vanderbilt.

By KEITH NIEBUHR, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published August 8, 2002

INVERNESS -- Citrus soccer standout Amber Presnick, anxious to get a head start at the next level, plans to graduate a semester early and enroll at a yet-to-be-determined college in January.

The three-time Times All-Citrus/Hernando Player of the Year said she is leaning toward Florida but also has scholarship offers from Florida State and Vanderbilt. Her brother, Cory, a 2000 Citrus graduate, runs cross country and track for the Gators.

"It's a huge advantage (to start college early)," Presnick said. "I've talked it over with college coaches and they say it's an advantage because you get there before all of the other freshmen and you're that much ahead of them."

Presnick has a 3.5 GPA and plenty of credits in hand.

She said she likely won't play any sports this fall. Soccer season begins in November but concludes in late February, meaning she could play only a handful of games before graduating.

Presnick, a midfielder, had 24 goals and 16 assists last season, increasing her career totals to 66 goals and 43 assists. During her three seasons, Citrus went 60-7-6 and claimed two district titles.

Presnick's skills, polished in an offseason league in Hillsborough County, set her apart from the area's other top players and made her the focus of opposing defenses.

"She's getting better and better," Citrus coach Brady Bogart said after last season. "She's really improved over the last three years.

"She can play anywhere and compete with anybody. ... She's definitely a Division I player."

Presnick will choose her college after hearing final pitches from FSU and Vanderbilt. She hopes to have everything finalized within a month.

Presnick has taken several unofficial visits to UF and remains in contact with coach Becky Burleigh, who led the Gators to the 1998 national championship. If Presnick selects UF, she said she likely would move to defense.

"It's awesome (at UF)," Presnick said. "(The Gators) are (Southeastern Conference) champs every year. It's always pretty much been a dream of mine to go there. That's what I want, but it's not definite yet."

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