Leah Klenke

Leah Klenke

Klenke with Notre Dame in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Leah Michelle Klenke
Date of birth	(2004-06-21) June 21, 2004
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s)	Wingback/fullback
Team information
Current team	Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Number	4
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2022–	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	43	(4)
International career‡
2023–2024	United States U-20	18	(0)
Medal record Women's soccer FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Colombia 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of September 21, 2024

Leah Michelle Klenke (born June 21, 2004) is an American college soccer player who plays as a defender for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. She won bronze with the United States at the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

Early life

Raised in Houston, Texas, Klenke attended Saint Agnes Academy, where she won a state soccer championship as a sophomore and was named all-state three times. She captained her Albion Hurricanes FC club team and was named ECNL all-conference twice. She long aspired to play for Notre Dame, where her parents went to school and her grandfather played college baseball. Klenke also competed in track and cross country in high school, winning state championships in the 800 meters, 1600 meters, 3200 meters, and cross country.

College career

Klenke started for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish as a freshman in the 2022 season, scoring minutes into her debut. She played at center back for much of her freshman year, part of an Irish defense that was among the best in the Atlantic Coast Conference, and received all-freshman honors from the ACC and TopDrawerSoccer. Notre Dame reached the semifinals of the ACC championship and the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. Klenke moved to her natural position of wingback as a sophomore in 2023, leading the Irish with ten assists to finish second in the conference standings, and was named second-team All-ACC.

International career

Klenke was called into train with the United States under-14 team in 2018. She was next called into a combined under-18/under-19 camp in early 2023. Later that year she played at the 2023 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, where the United States U20s secured qualification for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. She appeared as a substitute for Gisele Thompson in every match at the U-20 Women's World Cup, helping the United States finish in third place, its best result since 2012. She converted her penalty kick in a shootout win over Germany in the quarterfinals.

External links

• Leah Klenke at Soccerway.com