Back in the day, Lauren Wynns started kicking a soccer ball somewhere in Livonia.

Around that same time, on Jamican soil, so did Hakeem Sadler.

Neither Wynns nor Sadler could have envisioned the success they would someday have on the soccer pitch, particularly for Schoolcraft College in 2017. Their efforts were instrumental in the women’s and men’s teams both enjoying mammoth success.

Both recently were named National Junior College Athletic Association All-Americans — with Sadler a first team selection and Livonia Churchill alum Wynns a second team choice.

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“I was confused, I saw it on Twitter,” the 19-year-old Wynns said about her All-America selection. “I was really shocked.”

The sophomore forward for the Lady Ocelots did give props to Sadler, a midfielder who was a catalyst in the run to the NJCAA Division I championship game.

Meanwhile, Sadler’s Ocelots went 18-1-0, capturing Michigan Community College Athletic Association, Region XII and district titles along the way.

“Yeah, Hakeem, he’s really good,” Wynns said. “I’m really happy he got it.”

Lofty praise

Striking a similar tone was Sadler, a sophomore who scored 11 goals in his lone season with the Ocelots after transferring from Owens Community College in Toledo, Ohio.

“It was good; congrats to Lauren, also,” Sadler said. “It’s a cool accomplishment for both me and Lauren and also the school.”

The last time both Schoolcraft teams were honored with an All-America player was in 2015. That year, honorees were forwards Victor Contreras and Shae van Gassen (both making the second team).

“Hakeem worked during the season to understand what the expectations of him were and how to actualize his potential,” said Rick Larson, veteran head coach of the Schoolcraft men’s program. “He influenced this team in so many ways and one of those was to allow his teammates to believe we could.

“Hakeem simply had the best postseason run of any player I’ve coached here at Schoolcraft College.”

Sadler, who lives in Canton, cited a two-goal game Nov. 15 against Monroe College, during national tournament pool play, as a personal highlight of the season. That win lifted the Ocelots into the final four. One of the goals came on a free kick.

“It was good. I enjoyed the entire season. We came together as a team,” Sadler said. “Especially going into the regional finals and we just kept fighting and going after that. That’s what brought us to the national finals. Sadly, it didn’t end the way we wanted it to.”

Getting stronger

Wynns’s team nearly matched the men’s team step by step. The Lady Ocelots were undefeated in conference play, won Region XII and earned a spot in the national tournament. The team’s only losses were in that tourney, finishing with a stellar 13-2-1 record.

“This year, we had to adapt to a lot of changes,” Wynns said. “We had a new coach (Joe Carver) and we lost a lot of players last year, so here were a lot of new people.

“But we were stronger because we worked throught it all together. It was really nice going to nationals again. A dynasty, kind of.”

Although winning is in the DNA of both Schoolcraft programs, with a long track record of major success, new state-of-the-art soccer facilities on campus provided an extra lift.

Moreover, benefits of the pristine St. Joe’s Sports Dome and adjacent soccer stadium should provide long-term benefits, they agreed.

“I think the new facilities attract a lot of players, because there’s just so high-quality,” Wynns said. “It’s nice incentive to go to Schoolcraft, getting to play in a nice facility like that.”

Sadler said Schoolcraft’s facilities “let us work on our craft and get better each and every day. So it was wonderful, to be honest.”

Icing on the cake

The NJCAA All-America honors should help Wynns and Sadler continue their soccer careers; both want to continue playing at a four-year college.

Yet they won’t forget the past — how they worked to get to this point of their lives.

Wynns, whose 12 goals was second on the team to Jamila Thombs, first played the sport at age 6 or 7 for the Livonia City Soccer Club.

Then came four seasons with Livonia Churchill. She also played for AC Milan-Detroit, which in June merged with the Michigan Wolves-Hawks Soccer Club.

It all helped her prepare for two big years at Schoolcraft.

“Personally, it’s just all my hard work throughout my life in soccer,” she said. “I’ve been playing forever and it’s nice to get recognition and that great award.”

tsmith@hometownlife.com

Twitter: @TimSmith_Sports