September 14, 2023

Photo by Dylan Heinrich

Missouri has three separate players from Frisco, Texas. But, this is anything but a coincidence.

At the collegiate level, it’s rare to have two out-of-state players who come from the same city, but three is nearly unheard of. That’s exactly the category that Missouri soccer falls into, with three players calling Frisco, Texas home: Ashlyn Mills, Jenna Bartels and Bella Carrillo.

Three soccer players posing for a photo while the middle player holds a soccer ball.
Junior defender Ashlyn Mills, sophomore defender Bella Carrillo and senior forward Jenna Bartels pose for a photo before practice on Wednesday, Sep. 10, 2023, at Audrey J. Walton Stadium in Columbia, Mo. All three athletes come from the city of Frisco, Texas, and have been members of the Missouri soccer team for several years.

While having three players from the same city over 500 miles away sounds impossible, it makes sense when you consider Frisco’s unique soccer culture. With the pro team, FC Dallas, plus the National Soccer Hall of Fame, it’s easy to understand the excitement for the sport. It was a hotspot for soccer talent, with several high caliber club teams and athletes. The Frisco Soccer Association was home to 10,000 athletes alone in 2022.

“It was really competitive,” Mills said. “Soccer just ran Frisco [and] the Dallas metroplex.”

Two of the more notable clubs were the FC Dallas Elite National Club and the Solar Developmental Academy. Mills and Carrillo were both members of FC Dallas due to its close proximity and its extremely talented roster.

“It was time to step it up and get serious,” Carrillo said.

Bartels went a different route, becoming a member of Solar DA. While the drive to practice was 40 minutes away, the appeal came from the high level of talent.

“Everyone had a D1 scholarship offer. It was a very intense environment,” Bartels said.

Mills and Bartels both won national championships with their respective club teams, showcasing the prowess packed into the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

With such a strong commitment to their clubs, many of these athletes were unable to play for their high school teams. Carrillo was one of the few who was allowed to, playing for Centennial High School all four years. Carrillo earned all-district honors all four years and earned all-district academic awards for three.

“It really grew me as a player and got me ready for college,” Carrillo said. “I really enjoyed that experience in high school. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” 

Bartels was a fellow student of Centennial High, but was unable to play on the high school team because of her membership at Solar DA. However, Bartels was a manager for the team during her junior year, when Carrillo started on the team as a freshman.

“I just remember [Carrillo] would score so many goals. She was so good,” Bartels said.

These strong club connections also led to recruitment opportunities. Mills and Bartels were brought to Missouri under the guidance of former FC Dallas coach Aaron Gordon. Gordon was a former coach with Mississippi State and still had close bonds with several of the SEC teams, including Missouri.

Bartels was already familiar with Missouri, as her sister, Rylee, attended MU as a journalism major. 

Missouri’s connection with FC Dallas stayed strong due to Carrillo’s commitment. After initially parting ways with Missouri in the recruiting process, Carrillo was brought back into the discussion from Stefanie Golan. As the new head coach of the time, Golan was impressed with Carrillo and offered her an opportunity to finally become a Tiger. The decision was easier for Carrillo due to Mills and Bartels already being members of the team.

“It’s always nice to come to a place and have people there that make it feel like home…We could all relate on a different level,” Carrillo said.

All three have now spent at least one season with the Tigers, learning plenty from their time in collegiate soccer. Especially Carrillo, who changed from a forward to a defenseman upon arrival in Columbia.

“I knew that this was now my position and that I was going to grow,” Carrillo said. “I just had to trust the process.”

The three have also learned plenty more than soccer. There is a delicate balance that comes in being a student-athlete.

“You don’t let soccer define you,” Mills said. “The journey of finding who I am away from soccer is one of the biggest things I’ve learned.”

All three players find an escape in cooking. For Carrillo, it’s all about her family’s enchilada casserole. According to Carrillo, there is no exact recipe for this dish — it’s all about letting the ingredients take you in the right direction.

“It’s always a crowd favorite,” Carrillo said. “It could taste different every time … it’s always fun to make.”

Mills and Bartels both share a love of making pasta, as it’s often used as a group bonding activity. They believe the best way to truly enjoy pasta is to start the night with a salad and cap the meal off with a dessert.

“Don’t forget the dessert,” Mills emphasized.

These players are a prime example of the soccer talent found in Frisco, and they are all dedicated to working to make Missouri the best team possible.

Edited by Chase Gemes

Copy edited by Grace Knight and Audrey Dae Bush

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