Thursday, October 9, 2008
It’s taken almost a decade for coach Mark Francis to tell freshman forwards Kortney and Kelsey Clifton apart on the practice field.
From the time the identical twins began attending Francis’ KU soccer camps in grade school, it’s been nearly impossible for him to distinguish the two without the help of the numbers on the back of their jerseys.
Kelsey and Kortney Clifton, Wichita freshmen, are twins and forwards on the University's soccer team. Both played soccer in high school, and Kelsey said the biggest differences in college-level soccer were speed and intensity on the field.
After years of confusion, Francis caught a break this week in practice.
“I just noticed today Kortney has black shoes now and Kelsey has white shoes,” he said Tuesday. “That’s going to make it a lot easier for me.”
Up close it’s not quite as difficult. The faint scar on Kelsey’s forehead and her nose ring are both dead giveaways. The piercing also gives a little insight into the differences in the twins’ personalities.
“She is more outgoing than I am,” Kortney said. “If we are in a group of people we don’t know, she will be the one to talk before I do or get more comfortable with people.”
But both are at home between the lines, and playing soccer at Kansas has been almost a foregone conclusion since the Cliftons first caught Francis’ eye at one of his camps.
Their talent set them apart as youngsters, and once high school hit there was no stopping them. The duo’s team at Andover High School dominated 4A defenses, and their club team, the River City Lady Tigers, played in the state cup final three consecutive seasons.
Kortney and Kelsey dreamed of being Jayhawks so when Kansas offered early in their sophomore season, the Cliftons verbally committed right away.
“It was definitely from the start,” Kortney said of their desire to play for Kansas. “A lot of people look a lot of places and check out their options, but Kelsey and I really didn’t do anything except look here.”
So far life in Lawrence has been everything they expected and more.
Kortney, the state of Kansas’ all-time leading goal scorer with 256 goals, has started 11 of 12 games thus far and has four goals and an assist to back up her prolific high school scoring record.
Kelsey, a three-time all-state selection herself, has been a consistent threat coming off the bench. She has played in all but one game thus far and scored her first collegiate goal in a 3-2 victory against Central Florida.
Francis said the two are very similar players who rely on dynamic speed and quickness to expose defenders with incisive runs from the wings. But they are certainly not without their weaknesses, he said.
The Clifton’s diminutive stature — they are listed at 5-foot-3 — has left them susceptible to the physical play of the bigger and stronger defenders they’ve come up against thus far in the collegiate ranks.
“I’m a lot smaller than other players, so my physical strength has been a big deal with me,” Kortney said. “Just being able to stay on the ball and not get pushed off is something I have to do better.”
Off the field, both girls are also slowly settling into the routine that comes with being a student athlete. School. Practice. Study. Sleep. Repeat.
It’s a different kind of strain than either experienced in high school.
“It put a lot of stress on me,” Kortney said. “I think I’m starting to get the hang of it. You just have to have your time management down, know what you need to do and get it done.”
But college life isn’t all work and no play for the Cliftons. Once their commitments are satisfied, their “goofy” side comes out, roommate and freshman defender Sierra Miramontez said.
They share a suite in Lewis Hall with Miramontez and freshman midfielder Jordyn Perdue. Between trips for ice cream, sleeping and homework, Miramontez said it wasn’t uncommon for impromptu dance parties to break out.
“They can both break it down pretty well,” Miramontez said. “I think Kortney can Harlem Shake a little bit.”
And of course Kelsey is no slouch. They are identical twins after all.
“We give them a hard time because they sit together all the time and a lot of the time they’ll wear the same things,” Francis said. “Its kind of comical.”
— - Edited by Becka Cremer
Freshman forward steps up her game
Kortney Clifton brings high stats from Wichita to the Jayhawks soccer team
Three seniors take on varying roles in ...
Kelsey Clifton, Kortney Clifton and Jordyn Perdue handle playing time transition in ...
Soccer notebook
The Jayhawks kicked off season play and made additions to the team.
Kansas soccer faces biggest challenge yet
Kansas will face its biggest challenge Sunday in Florida, their highest ranked ...
Soccer team qualifies for NCAA Tournament
The team qualified for the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in ...
Young but talented soccer team enters new ...
The Jayhawks added 11 new players to the roster this year.
New season gives women soccer team another ...
The KU Women Soccer Team hopes this season games brings them closer ...
Jayhawks win 3-0 on senior day
The soccer team breaks its six game losing streak, leaving seniors with ...
Soccer prepares to face strong Nebraska team
Players want to finish Big 12 season with some road wins.
KU-MU game important for many reasons
Today’s game presents the last chance for Kansas to earn Big 12 ...
Soccer team faces tough opponents in San ...
With both opponents ranked in the top 25, the soccer team remains ...
Freshman sets herself apart early in season
Soccer forward Jamie Fletcher has set freshman goal record.
Soccer topples Aggies, 1-0
The Kansas squad knocks off No. 6 Texas A&M Friday in one ...
Assistant soccer coach walks the talk
Assistant soccer coach Jessica Smith was a two-time captain for Kansas from ...
Women’s soccer team wins opening match
KU shut out nationally ranked Purdue University in a 3-0 victory.
Soccer team bests Blazers, Mustangs in successful ...
The Jayhawks go 4-0 for the first time in four years as ...
McCabe leads team to victory
The Hawks defeated Francis Marion on Sunday as junior forward Shannon McCabe ...
Soccer ends regular season in disappointing fashion
The Jayhawks lost to Oklahoma 3-0 and enter the Big 12 tournament ...
Hawks lose to Tigers in shootout
The Kansas soccer team will have to wait until Monday night to ...
Francis pleased with final pre-season scrimmage
Players shine during practice in preparation for season opener.
Jayhawks redeem themselves against Cyclones
Six different Jayhawks scored goals as the Jayhawks beat the Cyclones 6-1.
Soccer team needs new faces to step ...
Injuries and graduations means young players will play a key role.
Soccer team focuses on consistency
All members of soccer team will compete for positions.
KU soccer hopes losing is a thing ...
It's addition by subtraction for the KU soccer team, who hopes their ...
Soccer falls 2-1 to Nebraska, rebounds with ...
This weekend went from bad to good as the Jayhawks overcome double ...
Offensive attack key for conference play
Turnaround from last year has KU soccer team rolling after first eight ...
The Morning Brew: Excellent soccer recruiting allows ...
Each incoming freshman class adjusts to game on the fly.
A student first, an athlete second
Soccer program places high priority on academics, which pushes players like Kaitlyn ...
Women’s soccer team kicks off spring season ...
With their spring schedule started, the team hopes to improve in defense ...
Coach Francis breaks records, builds legacy
Soccer team splits two games over weekend
Despite their win over Eastern Kentucky on Friday, the soccer team lost ...
Soccer team captain strives for personal and ...
Midfielder Whitney Berry takes the role of leader this soccer season.
Weekend games could provide vindication
Soccer team needs victories against Texas Tech and Colorado to vindicate previous ...
Soccer team brings intensity to upcoming games
With a successful start to its season, KU women’s soccer keeps its ...
Do or die time at Big 12 ...
The Jayhawks play the Texas A&M Aggies on Wednesday in a quarterfinal ...
Defender learns soccer technique at early age
The time Estelle Johnson’s father spent teaching her strategy translated into one ...
Soccer seniors have tournament on their minds
As their careers as Jayhawks come to an end, six players want ...
Junior defender Holly Gault valued member of ...
Sweet escape
Being deaf doesn't stop Emily Cressy from ruling the soccer field.
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID