Karenna Groff’s NCAA Woman of the Year award is ‘cherry on top’
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (BVM) – It didn’t take long for Karenna Groff to make her name known on the soccer pitch at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). In her first career game, Groff found herself with the ball in a tie contest with just seconds remaining. With the crowd counting down, and a home winning streak on the line, Groff took her shot at the goal.
“I’ll never forget it,” Groff said. “I took a blind, left-footed shot that ended up going in, which was crazy awesome. That was a very exciting first college game.”
The goal was one of many special moments during the first year of Groff’s college soccer career, as she also earned a hat trick in just 51 seconds that season, the second fastest in NCAA Division III history.
ICYMI, @MIT women's soccer freshman Karenna Groff registered the 2nd fastest hat trick in @NCAADIII women's soccer history yesterday against Worcester State! Her 3 goals took just 51-seconds to score! @NoontimeSports @D3_soccer @UnitedCoaches @NCAAStats #SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/TUwtXvayIS
— MIT Athletics (@MITAthletics) September 5, 2018
“On the field, the biggest thing that struck me at first was it’s a lot faster, it’s a lot more physical than high school soccer,” Groff said. “So it definitely did take some adjusting to. But I was also really lucky that I had a really good team with teammates who could help me get ready for that in practice. I think for me, the adjustment happened a little quicker than it would have otherwise, and it led to some really cool moments.”
It wasn’t much of a surprise that Groff starred at MIT right off the bat. She’s been doing so her whole life, both on and off the field. On the pitch, Groff was quickly drawn into playing soccer from a young age.
“I’ve been playing soccer for as long as I can remember,” Groff said. “I’ve always just found soccer so fun. I love being outside and I love playing a team sport.”
Groff went on to star at Weston High School where she helped lead her team to four Dual County League titles, racking up 48 goals and 34 assists as a two-time all-state player. Meanwhile, Groff also played basketball at Weston, becoming a four-time letter winner and team captain on the hardwood.
However, Groff’s fondest memories came on the soccer pitch, particularly as her team saw incredible success even without many players who were bound for the next level.
“That was a huge accomplishment and just a testament to the hard work that everyone put in for each other, even though it was more of a fun extracurricular for most people and not necessarily a stepping stone for college sports,” Groff said.
In addition, Groff also won a national championship with her club team as a junior, and in 2017, she was invited to play for the USA junior soccer team in the World Maccabiah Games – held every four years in Israel for Jewish athletes across the world – where she won a gold medal.
“From a soccer standpoint, it was really cool and really special to be able to represent the United States in an international competition,” Groff said. “That was really exciting and a really fun thing to be a part of. It was also cool to just meet really awesome athletes from all over the country.”
Not only was the experience rewarding on the field, but it also made Groff realize how fortunate she is. During her time at the World Maccabiah Games, the soccer standout found that some girls in other countries had to go through a lot just to play sports.
“It’s not something that I had ever really thought about,” Groff noted. “I kind of took it for granted growing up because it was always there for me and I was always encouraged to play sports. So talking with girls my age from some other countries about the hurdles that they faced getting to that point, and the barriers that were there for other young girls, kind of opened my eyes that access is a problem in sports.”
As a result, Groff got involved with Soccer Without Borders and South End Soccer, two organizations aiming to grow the game through the inclusion of all players.
Yet, giving back was nothing new for Groff, even during high school. In that time, she also served as a youth soccer coach, getting to teach her little sister. Meanwhile, she volunteered in a couple of labs for brain research as well, fulfilling her strong interest in neuroscience.
“I was always just really interested in neuroscience and that’s what led me to work in the neuroscience lab which was really wonderful and a stepping stone for me to a lot of what would come in college,” Groff said. “On the community service side, it’s just something I’ve always wanted to be a part of.”
While Groff’s play on the soccer field has only gotten better at MIT, so has her work outside of the sport. That’s part of what drew her to the school in the first place, as she realized she had the chance to get involved with numerous extracurricular activities just as her future teammates were.
“It was really hard to imagine life without soccer, so I knew that would be part of my college experience,” Groff said. “I was definitely looking at a lot of colleges, and I think what led me to MIT was really the people.”
Groff has gone above and beyond with her extracurriculars at MIT, and her resume stacks up with any college athlete. One of her longest-standing and most rewarding projects has been her research with epilepsy at Boston Children’s Hospital, and she is currently working on her thesis project to further understand the genetic basis of the disease and generate a new type of gene therapy.
“That’s been really rewarding, especially as I’ve gotten more and more certain that I want to pursue a career in medicine,” Groff mentioned. “That’s been really fun and something that I hope to be a part of in medical school.”
However, she has also been involved with research regarding maternal mortality, implementing software to reduce maternal mortality in Tamil Nadu, India. In addition, she has begun programs such as the MIT Slums and Informational Settlement group to research the impact of COVID-19 in high-poverty areas, as well as openPPE to address the shortage of personal protective equipment during the early stages of the pandemic.
“A lot of my projects have been equally rewarding like my work with maternal mortality and some of my work with public health and trying to increase access to high-quality medical care,” Groff added.
“It’s cool to have an idea, and then to put together a group of people who also agree that it’s a good idea, and then make something out of it. That’s kind of what was the case in both of those situations. I’m really proud to have been a part of those and I’m lucky to have really cool colleagues who support making things from nothing and driving them forward to make an impact on the community.”
Meanwhile, Groff also served as an EMT while at MIT, another rewarding experience.
“Being an EMT during the pandemic, you saw how important that work was, so it made it all the more meaningful to get to serve the community in that way and help people in need,” Groff added.
While it may have been a surprise to her, it was quite fitting that Groff’s efforts culminated with being named NCAA Woman of the Year in January, an award given out annually since 1991 which honors the academic achievements, athletic excellence, community service and leadership of graduating female college athletes.
“I was incredibly honored just to be MIT’s nominee for the NCAA Woman of the Year Award,” Groff said. “Every step beyond that was like the cherry on top and certainly not expected on my end just looking at all of these incredible other women that were nominated. That was definitely also the case when I ended up winning. I didn’t find out until they called my name at the awards ceremony. I had no idea and I was completely shocked.
“I also think that I was right in thinking that the other 29 women there were equally deserving of winning. They were some of the coolest people I’ve ever met. I’m honored to have won, but also, I think maybe even the coolest part was getting to meet those 29 other women and build some friendships there that will hopefully carry on.”
Even with all of Groff’s work off the field, she continued to excel on the field during her MIT career. After another strong sophomore season, she faced adversity when her 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19.
“It was pretty brutal,” Groff said. “I think I was in denial for a pretty long time … It’s always been my favorite part of the day and you look forward to the season for so long.”
Yet, the cancellation may have been a blessing in disguise. Groff and her teammates realized how much it means just to be on the field during the 2021 season, and coming together even closer as a team led to one of the best seasons in program history, as MIT racked up 22 wins and made a run to the Elite Eight.
“Having had the 2020 season canceled by Covid really put the importance and value that I place on soccer in a lot clearer context,” Groff said. “I was really, really excited for the 2021 season, and I think that sentiment was very widely shared across my team … It was just so fun being back on the field, and I think that’s what carried us through to having such a successful season.”
Returning as a graduate player, Groff and MIT made the NCAA tournament for the fourth time in her career in 2022 as she enjoyed watching the young players on the team develop in her final season.
“It was a very special season,” Groff noted. “I’m glad I got to hang on for an extra year and I’m glad I get to be their No. 1 fan now.”
Over the course of her career, the two-time team captain etched her name into the MIT history books, finishing second in program history in career goals (50) and career points (128), as well as fourth in career assists (28). She racked up numerous accolades as well, anywhere from all-district to all-region honors, while also being named first-team all-conference three times. However, what stands out the most for Groff is being named an All-American in her final two seasons.
“The most exciting accolade will always be having been All-American,” Groff said. “That’s just something I’ve been aware of since I was like 10, 12 years old, looking at the All-Americans and all these collegiate athletes that I really looked up to. So it was kind of surreal to have that happen in my third year, and again this past year.”
With her soccer career wrapped up, the 22-year-old’s main focus now is on completing her master’s degree in biomedical engineering. She will graduate in June, and plans to begin medical school this summer, hoping to eventually have a successful career in neurosurgery.
Between her career and her efforts to give back over the years, Groff has always had inspiration. Some of that comes from her parents, who are both physicians themselves.
“I’ve certainly always looked up to my parents a lot and I’m really lucky to have two of the most incredible I could imagine,” Groff said. “I think a big part of my interest in medicine definitely is just seeing how meaningful it’s been for them and what a rewarding career it is. I certainly consider myself lucky to have parents in medicine who kind of opened my eyes to that from an early age and helped to support and encourage me to pursue that myself.”
Additional inspiration comes from Groff’s friend, Ash Baird, who passed away from cancer in 2018. As heartbreaking as it was, Groff has carried on the legacy of her friend through the years, spreading Baird’s love for soccer and the idea that the game brings everyone closer together.
“Ash will always be a huge inspiration,” Groff said. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through to have her pass away, but I’m also so lucky to have gotten to know her while she was here. She loved soccer. A big part of why I love soccer so much now and why it’s so special to me is because it was kind of our thing that we did together. This passion and love and happiness that I have on the field is something I always shared with her.
“I always have her front and center on my mind. I will always consider myself very lucky to have known Ash and I try to drive forward the values that she wanted to spread in the world.”
No matter what she has done thus far in her life, Groff has shined. Winning NCAA Woman of the Year is perfect evidence of that, and a fitting cap to a tremendous tenure at MIT. A successful career in medicine awaits Groff, but she will never stray too far from her other true passion of soccer, either. Whether it is playing, coaching, or just being MIT’s No. 1 fan, soccer will still be a constant for Groff, and she is proud of what she and her team were able to build at MIT.
“I think our program has really grown over the five years that I was there,” Groff said. “I’m really proud of the team culture that we’ve built, and I’m really proud of all of these incredible women who dedicate so much time into being good at soccer and building a strong team. I hope that I just leave behind that love for soccer and that love for our team.
“I’m not sure exactly what the soccer landscape for me will look like, but I definitely will make it a priority to make sure that it’s a part of my life.”
