SE: New to Kansas, Kursten von Klahr Ready to Make Lasting Impression
Aug 10, 2021 | Soccer, Sports Extra
By: Austin Siegel
As 21st birthdays go, Kursten von Klahr has everyone beat when it comes to the new-year-new-me mentality.
Her birthday, back on January 23, was when von Klahr arrived in Kansas for the first time, to play at a school she had never been to with teammates she had never met.
"The whole team celebrated my birthday with me, so that was definitely a big welcome," she said. "It was my first day in Manhattan and that was just really fun."
It was also a chance to catch her breath after navigating one of the most hectic years in college sports history.
When 2020 began, von Klahr was preparing for her junior season at North Carolina State, right down from the road from where she grew up in Kannapolis.
The daughter of two former college soccer players, von Klahr was raised around the sport, in a state where women's soccer is part of the culture, right up there with college basketball and barbecue.
"There are four ACC programs in North Carolina and they're really good soccer schools too," von Klahr said. "Everyone in the soccer world in North Carolina kind of knows each other, so there were a ton of clubs and really good coaches around where I grew up."
After playing for her dad at Northwest Cabrrus High School, von Klahr headed to Raleigh and NC State. She didn't waste any time making an impact as a freshman in 2018, stepping up to convert the winning penalty kick in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 7 Santa Clara.
And this is where, in a movie, you would throw in the record scratch.
COVID-19 wiped out the fall season in 2020 for soccer programs across the country, including ACC teams like NC State. When von Klahr decided to enter the transfer portal, she couldn't visit any of the schools she might be interested in.
"It's super overwhelming because I got a bunch of emails every day. But some schools just stand out," von Klahr said. "When I saw Kansas State, that was somewhere that had never been on my radar, being from North Carolina, and I had never been out this way before."
A friend encouraged her to set up a call with the Wildcats and von Klahr had her first conversation with K-State head coach Mike Dibbini.
"I had no idea it was their fifth year as a program, and they were super young. That was exciting to me," she said. "Then, I got on a Zoom with all the coaches and my parents. That was what solidified it for me."
Flash forward to von Klahr's birthday celebration in January on her first day in Kansas.
For any other transfer in any other year, they would have anywhere from a few months to a whole season to get settled at their new school. Von Klahr had 42 days.
Because of COVID-19, NC State hadn't played any soccer matches in the fall – meaning von Klahr was eligible immediately - and K-State had moved five matches to the spring.
Less than six weeks after setting foot in Kansas, von Klahr got the start in a Sunflower Showdown matchup against the Jayhawks.
"I was super upset in the fall when NC State didn't get to have a season," she said. "But it was my saving grace at K-State because I could play immediately when I got here. I had been waiting so long for games and I hadn't played since 2019, so it was a long time coming. That first game was just the best feeling."
Von Klahr started all five matches for K-State in the spring and looks to have an important role to play for the Wildcats as an experienced midfielder.
As for the school she committed to sight unseen? That's been a pleasant surprise for the Tar Heel State native.
"Everyone was like, 'Oh my gosh, it's so flat,' but when my dad and I drove here it kind of had hills like Raleigh," von Klahr said. "I also thought it was going to be a lot smaller. I love it here because I didn't originally go to school in a college town. Raleigh is so divided between UNC, Duke and NC State. Coming here, it's K-State through and through."
After her first fall camp with K-State, von Klahr and the Wildcats will travel to South Dakota State for the team's preseason opener on Thursday night.
For a player who began her college career with the game on the line in the NCAA Tournament, the opportunity to start writing the perfect ending at K-State is finally here.
"I think we're ready to be someone that's really going to stand out in this conference, make it to the NCAA Tournament and win a couple games," von Klahr said. "That underdog title is something we're done with this year."
As 21st birthdays go, Kursten von Klahr has everyone beat when it comes to the new-year-new-me mentality.
Her birthday, back on January 23, was when von Klahr arrived in Kansas for the first time, to play at a school she had never been to with teammates she had never met.
"The whole team celebrated my birthday with me, so that was definitely a big welcome," she said. "It was my first day in Manhattan and that was just really fun."
It was also a chance to catch her breath after navigating one of the most hectic years in college sports history.
When 2020 began, von Klahr was preparing for her junior season at North Carolina State, right down from the road from where she grew up in Kannapolis.
The daughter of two former college soccer players, von Klahr was raised around the sport, in a state where women's soccer is part of the culture, right up there with college basketball and barbecue.
"There are four ACC programs in North Carolina and they're really good soccer schools too," von Klahr said. "Everyone in the soccer world in North Carolina kind of knows each other, so there were a ton of clubs and really good coaches around where I grew up."
After playing for her dad at Northwest Cabrrus High School, von Klahr headed to Raleigh and NC State. She didn't waste any time making an impact as a freshman in 2018, stepping up to convert the winning penalty kick in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against No. 7 Santa Clara.
And this is where, in a movie, you would throw in the record scratch.
COVID-19 wiped out the fall season in 2020 for soccer programs across the country, including ACC teams like NC State. When von Klahr decided to enter the transfer portal, she couldn't visit any of the schools she might be interested in.
"It's super overwhelming because I got a bunch of emails every day. But some schools just stand out," von Klahr said. "When I saw Kansas State, that was somewhere that had never been on my radar, being from North Carolina, and I had never been out this way before."
A friend encouraged her to set up a call with the Wildcats and von Klahr had her first conversation with K-State head coach Mike Dibbini.
"I had no idea it was their fifth year as a program, and they were super young. That was exciting to me," she said. "Then, I got on a Zoom with all the coaches and my parents. That was what solidified it for me."
Flash forward to von Klahr's birthday celebration in January on her first day in Kansas.
For any other transfer in any other year, they would have anywhere from a few months to a whole season to get settled at their new school. Von Klahr had 42 days.
Because of COVID-19, NC State hadn't played any soccer matches in the fall – meaning von Klahr was eligible immediately - and K-State had moved five matches to the spring.
Less than six weeks after setting foot in Kansas, von Klahr got the start in a Sunflower Showdown matchup against the Jayhawks.
"I was super upset in the fall when NC State didn't get to have a season," she said. "But it was my saving grace at K-State because I could play immediately when I got here. I had been waiting so long for games and I hadn't played since 2019, so it was a long time coming. That first game was just the best feeling."
Von Klahr started all five matches for K-State in the spring and looks to have an important role to play for the Wildcats as an experienced midfielder.
As for the school she committed to sight unseen? That's been a pleasant surprise for the Tar Heel State native.
"Everyone was like, 'Oh my gosh, it's so flat,' but when my dad and I drove here it kind of had hills like Raleigh," von Klahr said. "I also thought it was going to be a lot smaller. I love it here because I didn't originally go to school in a college town. Raleigh is so divided between UNC, Duke and NC State. Coming here, it's K-State through and through."
After her first fall camp with K-State, von Klahr and the Wildcats will travel to South Dakota State for the team's preseason opener on Thursday night.
For a player who began her college career with the game on the line in the NCAA Tournament, the opportunity to start writing the perfect ending at K-State is finally here.
"I think we're ready to be someone that's really going to stand out in this conference, make it to the NCAA Tournament and win a couple games," von Klahr said. "That underdog title is something we're done with this year."
Players Mentioned
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