Catching up with former Lake Forest Soccer Star Rachel Quon

She was one of the most decorated female athletes in history.

A fast, highly skilled centermidfielder for the Scouts girls' soccer team, Rachel Quon was the National Gatorade High School Player of the Year in 2009. Along with teammate Nicole Lipp, she led Lake Forest to a regional title that season.

Quon took her talents to Stanford University where she was an All-Pac 10 selection her first two years with the Cardinal. Friday, Quon and Stanford face Florida State in the semifinals of the NCAA women's soccer championship in Kennesaw, GA.

A win would put them in Sunday's finals, possibly against Lipp and the Duke Blue Devils, who face Wake Forest on Friday. The games will be televised on ESPN.

Lake Forest-Lake Bluff Patch caught up with Quon in between workouts Thursday.

So, this is your team's fourth straight year in the final four (College Cup). Will you break through this season?

Every year is different. We've worked hard from the beginning. You learn something new about the team and you are improving each season. To be in this tournament and be a No. 1 seed and win all those games (23-0-1) is such a blessing. I want to keep it going as long as possible as I'm best friends with everyone one of them (teammates).

You are now a junior at Stanford. How has your game changed since you graduated from LFHS?

I played totally different in high school. I was a centermidfielder. Here I play outside back where I try to get more involved with the offense. I'm not just a defender, but helping to build up the offense and be an option when necessary. I hope I've made an impact.

Who were some of your influences coming up?

Every coach I've had has helped me through the process. I have to mention (LFHS girls coach) Ty Stuckslager, who had me play different positions. He was one of my biggest mentors. And Oktay Akgun with the Lake Forest Soccer Association. He was one of the biggest influences in my life. I still stay in touch with him. 

It can't be easy juggling academics at a school like Stanford and playing big-time soccer. How do you do it? 

High school prepared me for that. I played soccer and field hockey and it was a busy schedule that prepared me for college. Be productive and efficient when you need to be and use your time wisely. People say you have so much free time in college, but you have to manage your time and think ahead. Our games are on Friday and Sunday, so I get my work done ahead of time. I'm in a sorority (Kappa Kappa Gamma), so I branch out that way. There are channels to connect socially and have fun. 

You come from a family of athletes. Your brother Chris played soccer and lacrosse at Colorado College, sister Sarah was a dancer at USC and your younger sister Kasey is a freshman field hockey player at Stanford. Your mom, Diane, was a college volleyball player. How has this made you a better athlete?

I just remember my mom dragging my siblings and I to my brother's eight-hour baseball and soccer games (said with a laugh). To watch and play with each other made me better and competitive. My parents always supported it. Our neighbors were the LaVitolas. They had six brothers (Adam, a junior, played on the Scouts conference championship soccer team this season) and each summer we would be out playing. It was so much fun and competitive. Playing with guys has so much to do with who I am today.

Your former teammate, Nicole Lipp, now plays for Duke. If you both win Friday, you will play against her in the national championship game.

It's always fun to play against Nicole. We've been playing together since we were seven. We might come across each other, but it's Stanford versus Duke. I'm really happy she's on one of the best teams. We'll be in the same hotel so hopefully we'll be able to talk. We are friends first. 

Before I let you go, I have to ask. Should Andrew Luck win the Heisman?

Yes. He's one of the nicest guys I've met at Stanford. An all-around good guy. We actually play soccer in the spring with the football guys. It's pretty funny. We've won every year. 

Watch Rachel's 2009 National Gatorade Player of the Year Award presentation here.