Newsday Athlete of the Week is St. Anthony's Emily Riggins
St. Anthony's won the school's fourth straight state CHSAA girls soccer championship with a 3-0 win over Lancaster St. Mary's. Friars forward Emily Riggins after her second goal of the game against Sacred Heart with defender Eva LaVecchia on Oct 22, 2021. Credit: Brad Penner
Emily Riggins of St. Anthony’s girls soccer is a "fighter."
That was the word she used to describe herself.
Whether it’s off the field, where she maintains a 4.0 GPA, or on the field, where she has won three league titles, she does everything in her power to get to the top.
"Throughout all of it I’ve just been grinding and just trying to be the best version of myself," Riggins said. "Trying to help everyone else and just stay hardworking."
The senior midfielder was named CHSAAA Player of the Year after a 10-goal and seven-assist season, leading the Friars (18-0) to an undefeated record.
Riggins, who is Newsday’s Athlete of the Week, been an integral part of a 33-game winning streak for the Friars, spanning the past three seasons. St. Anthony’s has won three league titles since Riggins joined the program, including one this season. They won the state championship in her sophomore year and will have an opportunity to do so again this season after the pandemic prevented them from having that opportunity a season ago.
"Every single game she always comes to win," St. Anthony’s coach Sue Alber said. "That competitive feistiness, that’s Riggins. She just has so much heart and passion for the game."
Riggins has a busy schedule as her commitments extend past St. Anthony’s. She also plays for SUSA Academy, a club team. When she steps off the field she enjoys creating art in her spare time, dedicating a corner in her basement to drawing, which helps her "relax."
"I’ve been doing this probably since seventh grade, so I kind of grew up into it," Riggins said. "I like the chaos of it, I think I do better in school and soccer when I have more stuff to do."
She will officially move on from the black and gold of St. Anthony’s into red and white as she joins the St. John’s Red Storm soccer team in the fall of 2022. She is leaning toward majoring in business or finance.
Riggins has enjoyed a ton of success in her soccer career to this point, but she hopes when people see her in the future, they think of more than just her ability to put the ball in the net.
"Hard-working, a leader," she said. "I hope they see someone who led others in the right direction."
