Kinga Szemik Signs Professional Contract with FC Nantes

www.goutrgv.com
RIO GRANDE VALLEY -The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley women’s soccer team learned on Thursday that goal keeper Kinga Szemik, who played four seasons with the Vaqueros, has signed a professional contract with FC Nantes in France.
“I would like to thank UTRGV and my coaches for helping me grow over the past four years,” Szemik said. “I wouldn’t be here without them. Now it’s time for me to start my professional career and I believe FC Nantes is a great place for that. I enter this new chapter with an open and positive mind and I believe that will continue to grow.”
Last season, Szemik earned All-WAC Second Team honors and was named to the All-WAC Tournament Team while earning two WAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. Szemik also earned United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-West Region Third Team honors for both her performances on the field and in the classroom and also earned the All-American Athlete Award for her athletic accomplishments and dedication to strength and conditioning.
Szemik finished the season with 76 saves and six shutouts while wrapping up her career with a program record 16 career shutouts. Her six shutouts this season were the second most in the WAC.
“Kinga is our fourth player to have received a professional contract after playing at UTRGV,” UTRGV head coach Glad Bugariu said. “This is a tremendous achievement for our program, which only has existed for six years, but has already proven to be a launching ramp to the next level.”
Szemik finished her career first in program history in wins (26), saves (225), games played (61, games started (58), minutes played in goal (5,395), third in save percentage (.768) and goals against average (1.13).
Szemik is a two-time All-WAC honoree after earning First Team honors as a junior and Second Team honors as a senior. Academically, Szemik was a three-time Academic All-WAC honoree and a two-time United Soccer Coaches Scholar honoree while still competing with the Polish National Team.
“The coaching staff and I are very proud of Kinga’s achievement,” Bugariu said. “Her hard work, dedication to being the best and leaderships skills make her the type of player we want to continue and recruit to our program. However, we are also not surprised. She is a tremendous goalkeeper and will always be remembered as one of the greatest to ever play in the WAC.”