CONWAY -- Anna Claire Lewis has a good idea of why she was awarded the Dick Johnson Outstanding Camper Award for the West All-Star girls soccer team.
Lewis received the award Wednesday prior to the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Girls All-Star match played at Estes Stadium on the campus of the University of Central Arkansas.
"I think it's because I talk the most, on the field and off the field," said Lewis, a former Siloam Springs standout goalkeeper. "I was the most talkative one and outgoing. I made a lot of friends and had a really good time."
Texarkana head coach Bijan Timjani, who was the West girls head coach, said Lewis was selected by her teammates.
"She was awesome, but obviously she was even more awesome with her teammates," Timjani said. "We asked them to select it, and they unanimously picked her. She was cooperative. She was a pleasure to be around. She was supportive. That's what we were looking for."
It came as no surprise to Siloam Springs head coach Brent Crenshaw that Lewis received the honor. Crenshaw was at All-Star week as well as West head boys soccer coach and checked up with Timjani on Lewis earlier in the day.
Timjani told Crenshaw that Lewis was doing great and that she was going to be named the outstanding camper.
"She's been our leader all year," Crenshaw said, "so there's no surprise when coach told me that she earned that award."
About the only thing that didn't go according to plan for Lewis at the All-Star week was the girls soccer game itself as the East defeated the West 3-1.
Lewis got the start in goal for the West and gave up a pair of first half goals and another in the second half, including two to Bryant's Caroline Campbell, who will play Division I soccer at the University of Arkansas.
"I got scored on a lot, but the girl who scored on me is going to Arkansas to play soccer," Lewis said. "She's incredible. It was an honor to go against her because she's really talented. It makes me better."
Campbell scored the first goal of the game with 30:19 left in the first half for a 1-0 lead.
Lewis made a spectacular block diving to her right on one of Campbell's shots at close range, but the ball bounced over to an unmarked Shelby Grimes of Conway, who scored the game's second goal with 24:32 left.
Sieanna Nealon of Rogers scored to pull the West back within 2-1 with 23:35 remaining, and the score would remain 2-1 at halftime.
Campbell scored again with 23:21 left in the game to set the final score.
"She's really good," Lewis said of Campbell. "She's really fast."
Ironically, it's the first and only time in Lewis' high school career that her season will end in a loss, with each of her high school seasons ending with Class 6A state championships for the Lady Panthers.
Lewis had a good laugh about that.
"I know," she said. "It was fun. It was a good experience."
Sports on 06/25/2017