Nineteen years after leading Texas soccer to its first postseason win, Kelly McDonald Freeman will become the third soccer player to be inducted into the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor on Friday, Sept. 15. 

“I couldn’t be more honored,” she said. “It’s a lot of work and dedication that you put into a sport, and being a student athlete is a whole other level of dedication because you’re working toward graduating as well as doing everything you can for the program.”

After her time at Texas, having a spot in the Hall of Honor was a dream — but not a call she was expecting to get. When UT Athletics Director Chris Del Conte called her, she was overcome with emotion.

“When [Del Conte] called me, I just couldn’t talk,” McDonald Freeman said. “I started tearing up, and he was just like, ‘Are you there? Did you hear me?’ It just brought back so much emotion of everything that went into playing at Texas and the dedication. I’m just truly, truly honored.”

The 2003 All-American and four-time National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-Region player ranks second at Texas in career points with 110, holds the record for most goals scored in program history with 46 in 83 career starts. She also holds the record for postseason goals with six, while no other player in program history has reached more than four. 

Despite being recruited by then 15-time National Champions North Carolina and legendary UNC head coach Anson Dorrance, McDonald Freeman and some of her U18 National Team teammates decided to give Texas’ new program a chance. 

“There were six of us that decided through playing with the national team that we were going to try and band together,” McDonald Freeman said. “Texas was an up-and-coming program, and they had a new coach that had had some SEC success.”

Former midfielder Kati McBain Freytag and former forward Kylee Wosnuck were the first two to join the Longhorns. McBain Freytag and Wosnuck both stood out in their first season, earning a spot in the All-Big 12 first team and were the stepping stones for the other U18 players to join the developing team. 

Since the 2000 class played its first postseason game, Texas has had 15 more tournament appearances. 

“The team that’s there right now and that has been in the last couple of years is just incredible, and they’re setting all sorts of records again and winning championships,” McDonald Freeman said. “To me, they look like they’re on a serious path to make a run for some really awesome stuff this year.”

After graduating, McDonald Freeman attended dental school and opened up her own practice in Lone Tree, Colorado. 

McDonald Freeman and the ten other Hall of Honor inductees will be inducted on Friday night and recognized during the Texas football game against Wyoming on Saturday.