Mimi Van Zanten Explained

Mimi Van Zanten
Full Name:Amelia Donna Van Zanten
Birth Date:25 January 2005
Height:5 ft 5 in
Position:Outside back, midfielder
Currentclub:Florida State Seminoles
Clubnumber:17
Collegeyears1:2023–
College1:Florida State Seminoles
Collegecaps1:36
Collegegoals1:4
Years1:
Nationalyears1:2018
Nationalteam1:United States U-15
Nationalyears2:2023
Nationalteam2:Jamaica U-20
Nationalcaps2:3
Nationalgoals2:1
Nationalyears3:2024–
Nationalteam3:Jamaica
Nationalcaps3:1
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalteam-Update:June 4, 2024

Amelia Donna Van Zanten (born January 25, 2005) is a college soccer player who plays as an outside back or midfielder for the Florida State Seminoles. Raised in Illinois, she represents Jamaica at the international level. She won the 2023 national championship with the Seminoles.

Early life and college career

Van Zanten was raised in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, one of three daughters born to Priscilla and Kent Van Zanten. Her father played college football at Illinois Wesleyan; her sister Brianna played college soccer for Case Western Reserve; and her sister Kiki played for Notre Dame before being drafted by the Chicago Red Stars. Van Zanten began playing soccer when she was two years old but also played other sports growing up including gymnastics and basketball.[1]

Van Zanten attended Stevenson High School, where she was named her high school conference's player of the year in 2022. She played club soccer for Chicago FC United before joining Eclipse Select SC, where she helped win the ECNL under-18/19 national championship in 2021.[2]

Florida State Seminoles

Van Zanten received Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) all-freshman honors as she helped the Florida State Seminoles go undefeated in the 2023 season.[2] She debuted off the bench and assisted Beata Olsson for the season's opening goal against Texas A&M.[3] She scored her first college goal in the last seconds of a 3–3 draw with then-No. 1-ranked North Carolina.[4] She consistently started for the Seminoles by the postseason and was named to all-tournament team of the ACC tournament. Florida State kept clean sheets through the first five rounds of the NCAA championship before defeating Stanford 5–1 in the final.[2]

International career

Van Zanten trained with the United States youth national team from the under-14 to under-17 level. She was one of the youngest players selected to the under-15 squad that won the 2018 CONCACAF Girls' U-15 Championship.[5] [6] She later chose to represent Jamaica and played for the country at the 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, scoring one goal in a 4–1 win over Panama in the group stage.[7]

Van Zanten received her first call-up to Jamaica's senior team in May 2024.[8] She debuted for Jamaica on June 4, 2024, coming on for her Florida State teammate Jody Brown in the 77th minute of a 4–0 friendly loss to Brazil.

Notes and References

  1. News: Amelia Van Zanten makes her collegiate debut as a Seminole. Hood. Justin. 2023-08-28. FSUNews.com. 2024-11-10.
  2. Web site: Mimi Van Zanten. Florida State Seminoles. 2024-11-10.
  3. News: No. 6 FSU soccer guts out a season opening win at Texas A&M. Joffer. Prince Akeem. 2023-08-18. Tomahawk Nation. SB Nation. 2024-11-10.
  4. News: subscription. Freshman status not limiting Florida State soccer newcomers from making a major impact. Williams. Jack. 2023-09-28. Tallahassee Democrat. 2024-11-10.
  5. News: U14 GNT opens up 2018 with camp in Norco. February 23, 2018. United States Soccer Federation. TopDrawerSoccer. 2024-11-10.
  6. News: US U17 WNT Camp Roster – October. October 7, 2021. United States Soccer Federation. TopDrawerSoccer. 2024-11-10.
  7. Web site: Jamaica 4–1 Panama. CONCACAF. https://web.archive.org/web/20230520224219/https://www.concacaf.com/en/women-s-under-20/game-details?matchid=700711. 2023-05-20.
  8. News: Reggae Girlz World Cup players return to national squad. 2024-05-10. Radio Jamaica News. 2024-11-10.