Meharg shared one of her favorite memories from Welsh Kelly’s first season with the Terps.

“Her freshman year, we went running to the golf course and the next thing someone said was, ‘Autumn is crying under the tree,'” Meharg said. “I went over and sat under the tree with her and was like, ‘Okay, we’re going to keep running.’ She was like, ‘I didn’t think it was going to be this hard.'”

Meharg continued, “I remember it like it was yesterday. But what I do remember, on the other hand, is that she was just a passionate leader. She led every single practice. Every step was important.”

As Meharg described, Welsh Kelly eventually overcame his rookie nerves and was very successful on the field.

“Her ability to get to the ball before the opposition was unmatched,” explained Meharg. “She intercepted and countered, that was her thing. Her ability to take the lead from her position as a centre-back was just brilliant.”

Dignan explained what it was like playing alongside Welsh Kelly in defence.

“She was just a very strong player that people didn’t really expect,” Dignan said. “She just had this fire and a very fluid style of play. She played behind me, so I knew if I missed something, she would most likely make it right on the field.”