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SIERRA VISTA — Ever since they met in music class 10 years ago, Tonya Wernette and Erin Prudence have been making sweet music on the soccer field.
The Buena graduates the Class of 2003 are set to graduate in 2007 from Ottawa University, a four-year NAIA school located 53 miles southwest of Kansas City in Ottawa, Kans. Both women live in Kansas.
“We both played saxophone in fifth grade,” Prudence said recently at the Domingo Paiz Soccer Complex. “That’s how we met.”
 Former Buena students Tonya Wernette, left, and Erin Prudence practice regularly this summer at the Stone Sports Complex. The two soccer standouts are preparing for the upcomming season as seniors while attending Ottawa University in Kansas. (By Mark Levy-Herald/Review) |
Ever since then, both blonde girls have played soccer and have been friends. They have carried their success to the Ottawa Braves, where Wernette is a captain defender and Prudence is a midfielder.
“They called me for a visit,” Wernette said. “So I got full rides.”
Erin was going to the University of Arizona as a student. She had some injuries, but after a visit she joined Wernette in Kansas.
Wernette will likely have a lot to look forward to next year. In July she is getting married, with Prudence as a bridesmaid. Prudence is working at Canyon Title, Wernette at The Diner. Both train in kickboxing and at the Domingo Paiz soccer fields. Wernette wants to earn a bachelor’s degree in information technology, Prudence with an accounting degree.
“I want to be working for IBM or Microsoft,” Wernette said.
The people and places were appealing to Wernette and Prudence.
“The people we met there were very, very polite,” Wernette said. “It was good to get out of Arizona. That was what kept us coming back.”
On the playing field, the two have plenty of memories.
“For me, it was winning the conference championship,” Prudence said.
Wernette had a direct effect on helping her team win in the region tournament.
In their final game, Ottawa played without any coaches. Its head coach was kicked out of the game due to a red card in the previous game, thenits assistant coach was kicked out after he received a red card for arguing with the referee.
“We went into a shootout,” Wernette said. “I remember taking the shot and making it. That’s as far as we went.”
The Braves will attempt to extend their 24-game conference win streak. They should be stronger than last season. However, they are still looking for a new head coach.
“We have seven seniors,” Wernette said. “I think winning conference will be the biggest thing. It’ll be a weird situation, there will be so many changes.”
Both women have parents with local prestige. Stephanie Prudence is on the Sierra Vista City Council. In September she has to re-run as a candidate, because she is filling out a seat that was left vacant by Thomas Gallego, who resigned. Randy Wernette coached the first girls club team in the city’s history that traveled outside of the city. It was the Sierra Vista Select Club.
As stars at Buena, Wernette and Prudence were part of the most successful Buena girls soccer team ever. During their junior year in 2002 the Lady Colts reached the quarterfinals of the Arizona Interscholastic Association Class 5A Girls Soccer State Tournament. During their senior year, they made it to the second round of the state tournament. After graduation, Prudence said she wants to work on her Master’s Degree in Finance, with NYU as her dream school.
“We’re not in the middle of nowhere, but close,” Prudence said. “This year will be our last year playing
soccer.”
Wiillie wrote on Mar 2, 2009 7:42 PM: