‘Best moment of my life:’ Burlington Central’s Mekenzie Rogers commits to Michigan State

For most of her life, Burlington Central junior Mekenzie Rogers dreamed of playing professional soccer. She got closer to that dream Sunday.

Rogers quickly became one of the top players in the McHenry County area during her first high school season this spring. Colleges noticed. After talking with multiple NCAA Division I programs for months, Rogers announced her commitment to Michigan State.

“It felt incredible, and it was just a really big feeling to be committed, because it’s something I wanted for years, to go be one at a school and go on to play pro one day,” Rogers said. “So that was just probably the best moment of my life.”

While multiple other D-I programs impressed Rogers during her recruitment process, Michigan State stood out. The Spartans especially impressed Rogers during a visit this summer.

Rogers quickly became comfortable with the coaching staff and appreciated that the East Lansing, Michigan, school was relatively close to home for her parents to come watch her matches. She also enjoyed Michigan State’s success and the way the program plays.

The Spartans have won back-to-back Big Ten championships and are ranked No. 4 in the nation. They’ve also helped players reach their goals of playing at the professional level.

Once she stepped onto the Spartans’ pitch during her visit, Rogers could see Michigan State was the right place to help her realize her ultimate dreams.

“It all just felt right,” Rogers said. “So it was just a ‘when you know, you know’ moment, and I’m just really glad.”

Michigan State noticed Rogers after an impressive spring high school season and strong club play. Rogers scored 37 goals and added nine assists to help the Rockets return to the Class 2A state finals and finish fourth.

She earned Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association All-Sectional and All-Fox Valley Conference accolades on top of being named to the All-Area first team by the Northwest Herald.

Central coach Jessica Arneson was proud of Rogers and thinks her game will transition well to the collegiate level. Arneson said Rogers plays great on the ball, is very fit and has physical toughness. While the mental side is the toughest to adjust to, according to Arneson, she knows Rogers can handle both sides of the game.

“She is a silent leader, and she works really hard,” Arneson said. “I have no concerns her being able to fulfill both the physical side and mental side of going to college and playing in college. She will be a good fit. It’ll be fun to see her transition over.”

While Rogers enjoyed the recruitment process, she’s glad to be done so she can focus on getting better. Despite her commitment, Rogers said that she’ll continue to play high school soccer.

After coming close to helping Central win a state championship, she wants to help the program get over the hump these next two seasons before tackling her ultimate dream.

“Going to state last year was incredible and a really good experience,” Rogers said. “So that’s definitely a goal for me for next year. I’m really excited to get back to the team.”