Josie Boyle is a junior at Washburn University in Topeka, she plays on the defensive side of the ball. This year the Washburn women’s soccer team finished as the National Runner-up.

She graduated from BHS in 2021. She played varsity soccer for BHS all four years of her high school career under Coach Ising.

“Coach Ising expected a lot out of me starting me at the center back position my freshman year,” she said. “Luckily, I was playing alongside a senior who instilled confidence in me as the year went on. I was asked to be a leader in many tough games and situations throughout my time at Baldwin High, which translated directly to when I got on campus at Washburn. Thanks to my coaches and teammates in high school, I very rarely lost in track, cross country, basketball, or soccer. I don’t like to lose, whether it be a game, practice drills, or conditioning. This mentality was already instilled in me as I got to Washburn, and that’s one of the reasons I was recruited and have succeeded – my competitive drive.”

Washburn finished the season with its best performance yet in the NCAA Tournament. The team set many records during this historic season.

One of the records they set was a new program record with 21 wins in the 2023 season. They also set a record for most points in a season (126), goals in a season (47), and shutouts (14).

“We won 21 games this year, which is more games than we won in both my sophomore and junior years combined,” she said.

Washburn also hosted matches in the NCAA Tournament for the first time ever. Also the team won its first ever Central Region Championship in program history. 

“It feels amazing to have such a successful season accompanied by the help of my team,” she said. “What makes it even more special is the fact that both my team and myself as an individual had to grow into this success. My head coach has told me from the day that I stepped on campus that we can beat anyone in the country, and I never fully believed it until this year. Although we lost in the national championship, we all had the belief and drive that we were going to win it the entire year. I hope to fulfill that goal of mine in my final year of eligibility.

The team finished its season with a record of 21-4-1, only losing their final game (1-0) to Point Loma in the National Championship match.