SEQUIM — Sequim senior Kaia Lestage’s commitment to her team’s collective success is one of the more understated reasons the Wolves qualified for the Class 2A Girls Soccer State Tournament for the third time in school history.
Tonight, No. 10 Sequim plays at No. 7 Ridgefield.
Lestage, who slots in at central defensive midfielder when the Wolves are at full strength, or most recently as a defender due to Ivy Barrett’s ankle injury, is skilled enough to play every position on the field for Sequim.
She’s played up top as a forward, along the wing and at every position defensively, including spending a sterling half in goal during a Sequim-Port Angeles match in 2022.
“A large part of it is, not even for myself, but I know how much everybody else wants it [to be successful],” Lestage said. “The passion Jenny [Gomez] and Taryn [Johnson] have for the game makes me work harder. Soccer is not my 100 percent, but being able to do it for them is why I do it.”
Lestage is focused on her online Running Start college classes and works and rides horses at Sequim’s Fox Belle Farms.
“I ride horses and love jumping horses,” Lestage said. “I’m working toward buying the horse that I ride.”
She said soccer does provide something missing from classes and horses.
“I think it’s definitely my No. 1 social aspect in my life,” Lestage said of the sport. “I do Running Start fully online and I do school at my house, or at work at the barn, and I’m taking classes with or talking with people significantly older than me. Playing soccer is one of the only times I get to be with my friends and be a kid.”
Lestage said she plans to earn a business degree from either Eastern Washington or Gonzaga, and then attend special school to become a farrier, a specialist in equine foot care.
Coach Ken Garling is effusive in his praise of Lestage.
“I can’t say enough about Kaia Lestage,” he said. “As we know she is quite the utility player, she can help us on the pitch in so many different roles that it really shows her willingness to do whatever it takes to win for the team.
“She’s really come into her own her senior year, not just with her defensive mindset — but she gets balls forward, connects with our midfielders and forwards, scores goals and really owns her role, whatever role that may be.”
Lestage is a space eater on the field.
“Her anticipation and ability to be in the right place at the right time to get in the opponent’s way,” Garling said when asked what stands out about her play. “She knows where to be and she changes the dynamics of the opponents attack and creates bad situations for them. Her play takes space away.”
Lestage agreed.
“One thing that Ken and [assistant coach] Dave Breckinridge like to tell me that I did well on is my ability to predict the play, being able to read people’s body language when they are on the ball.”
Senior co-captain Jenny Gomez appreciates how Lestage cares for her fellow Wolves.
“She’s always welcoming, hyping people up,” Gomez said. “She always looks after teammates if they are down or hurting. She’s a really good teammate and a good captain. Her sense of caring stands out.”
Lestage has been welcoming to the team’s younger players as well.
“She’s very vocal and really enjoys helping the younger players and encouraging them,” Garling said. “[That’s] very rare for an individual of a young age to have that ability and see that blossom and just very proud of the girls.”
Lestage described her team’s heart and desire, which included a two-goal rally against Enumclaw to clinch a state berth and a 3-2 overtime win over Sammamish to finish third in the district tournament and take some momentum into tonight’s state contest.
“When we get into the bigger games, we kind of step it up a notch because we encourage each other so much that we don’t even have a choice to get more aggressive or whatever quality we need by pushing each other,” Lestage said. “There’s a lot of belief and trust on this team.”
