PORTLAND, Ore. - With the start of the NCAA soccer season on the horizon, several Timbers Academy alumni are preparing for their first collegiate seasons. In total, 13 players who were members of the Timbers U-18 Academy during the 2012-13 season are off preparing for their first taste of collegiate competition.
Defender Cameron Chesnutt, one of six Timbers Academy alumni committed to a Division I program, is entering his freshman season at Stanford University and workouts for the upcoming Pac-12 campaign have been underway for the past few weeks. He credits the Timbers Academy for preparing him to play at the collegiate level and for his next steps in life.
“The Portland Timbers Academy played a very important role in my final year of youth development because the Academy exposed me to the highest level of play I had ever experienced,” Chesnutt said. “Off the field, I was held accountable for behavior and grades, and I know that I will be more prepared for college and future jobs because of that.”
Because of his time in the Timbers Academy, Chesnutt maintains a positive outlook on his ability with an understanding that the standards now reach beyond performance on the soccer field.
“As I start my collegiate career, I look forward to working hard and learning as much as possible about the game. I know many things I learned in my year with the Timbers Academy will be vital to my growth both on and off the field in college.”
Timbers Academy alumni preparing for their first collegiate seasons: Clark College - Bryan Gonzalez, Gustavo Gonzalez; Concordia University - Timur Zhividze; Gonzaga University - Cody Street; Oregon State University - Spencer Kleweno, Mitch North; Stanford University - Cameron Chesnutt; U.S. Air Force Academy - Kenton McGuire; University of Washington - James Nosack; Chemeketa Community College - Hector Martinez, Jose Ortiz; Dixie State - Michael Gray; Yavapai College - David Mack.
