by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC
A two-time All-Big Ten selection and four-year starter at the University of Iowa, Melanie Pickert is the new assistant women’s soccer coach at Kansas City Kansas Community College.
Named the Most Valuable Defensive Player in all four of her seasons at Iowa, Pickert was a fourth team All-American selection as a senior. In addition, she was named to two All-Big Ten teams, the All-Big Ten Academic team, team captain and was a two-time team MVP.
“Melanie just blew us away,” said new Blue Devil women’s head coach Jeremy Winzer. “Energetic and organized with a great attitude, she brings a lot to the table in helping develop our players and moving the program forward.”
Prior to suffering a season-ending injury in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, Pickert started every game in her Hawkeye career, a streak of 84 straight games. Second in scoring as a senior, four of her goals were game-winners which tied her for sixth most in Iowa history.
As a junior, Pickert led the Hawkeyes in scoring with seven goals including three game-winning shots. Named to the All-Big Ten second team, she was also selected to the All-Big Ten Tournament team after leading Iowa to a 1-0 win over No. 20 Penn State in the semifinals.
Pickert ranked fifth in points as a sophomore and anchored a defense that ranked third in the Big Ten in goals allowed (19) and goals against average (0.87) as the Hawkeyes posted the second most wins in the program’s history after a freshman season in which the Iowa defense allowed a record low 17 goals and set or equaled nine school records.
A native of Canton, Mich., Pickert was a three-time all-state selection and a member of the Michigan Dream Team as a junior.
In addition, she was a member of the Michigan Hawks club team for seven years and a four-year letter-winner in basketball. Pickert has ties to the Kansas City area. Her parents, Keith and Mary Pickert, were originally from the Kansas City area and she has several family members living in the area.
Alan Hoskins is the sports information director at Kansas City Kansas Community College.