On the morning of the first game of her junior season last week, KU defender Caroline Castans received quite an honor that she did not know was coming.
The native of Flower Mound, Texas, who started all 23 games last season and logged a team-high 1,889 minutes, with three goals and six assists — including two game-winners — had been named to the 2025 Hermann Trophy’s preseason watch list.
Given annually to women’s soccer’s Division I national player of the year, Castans landing on the list of 43 players nationwide is the equivalent of her being added to a Heisman Trophy watch list in college football.
It’s for the best of the best and features some of the top players on powerhouse programs. Finding out she was one of them was a fun experience for the KU junior.
“I actually (first) heard about it when it got posted on Instagram,” Castans said of the Aug. 14 honor. “That’s the first time I saw it and it was amazing. It’s just a great start to the season and good motivation.”
Later that night, in a 5-2 KU win in the season opener, Castans proved she belonged, scoring a goal midway through the match and adding an assist on the Jayhawks’ first goal of the night on a pass that KU coach Nate Lie said was one that “not many people can play.”
“That’s why she has got all the hype behind her,” Lie said after the match in his praise of Castans’ strong play in the opener. “And she’s not one to let it get to her.”
Castans had no problem admitting that she had never heard of the award prior to seeing her name on the watch list.
“It was a great surprise,” she said. “I was just so thankful for the recognition, to be a part of that group of soccer players that are just elite and at such a high level.”
She added that the honor fueled her to start strong and was thrilled that it came on a day when her team did something special, too.
The five goals in the opener marked the most in program history on Night 1, and both Castans and Lie said the effort was a great indication that the team picked up where it left off in 2024, after winning a Big 12 tournament title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s awesome to hear,” she said of the kind words from her head coach and others. “But I couldn’t do it without my team behind me. Last season definitely helped get some recognition for our team.”
The Jayhawks followed up the season-opening win with a victory in Game 2 and will look to move to 3-0 on Thursday night, with a home match against Utah Valley.
Interestingly enough, Utah Valley will bring a Hermann Watch List honoree to town in graduate-senior forward Faith Webber.
Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Rock Chalk Park.
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