Madison Tokarchik vividly remembers being on the Bishop Kelley sideline as an eighth grader during the 2016 girls soccer state championship game. The Lady Comets lost the title game 1-0 in overtime to Claremore.
Tokarchik saw the hurt and disappointment on the faces of the girls who had gotten so close to winning it all. She vowed things would be different the next year.
“I remember seeing how terrible they felt and I knew I didn’t want that to happen the next year,” recalled Tokarchik. “Our theme that year was Redemption. We had to push harder and do everything better. We knew there was no way that we couldn’t win.”
She didn’t get a chance to avenge that loss, as her senior season was cut short after just five games due to COVID-19. She received a nice consolation price however, when she was recently named the 2020 Gatorade Oklahoma Girls Soccer Player of the Year.
“Honestly, I had forgotten that they were announcing it, so when my dad sent me the article saying I had won, I was so excited,” said Tokarchik, who is ranked as the South region’s No. 5 recruit in the Class of 2020 by Top Drawer Soccer.
Tokarchik finished her impressive prep career with 34 goals and 47 assists. She was a 2019 United Soccer Coaches All-American and all-region selection, as well as a Tulsa World Player of the Year finalist.
“She’s a complete player,” said her father and Bishop Kelley coach Troy Tokarchik. “She is very versatile. Her ability to distribute the ball is excellent. Her ability to read the game is excellent. Everything that she has is deeply rooted in work ethic. She’s a kid that really puts in the effort and puts in the time.”
Tokarchik is the third Bishop Kelley athlete and first field player to win the girl’s Gatorade soccer honor since 2008. The previous two winners were goalkeepers.
“One of our sayings in our program is ‘Leave It Better’,”said Tokarchik, who has led the Lady Comet program for 21 years. “There’s a real commitment from every player to do well. We’ve been very blessed to have fantastic players who have been committed to creating a better environment.”
Tokarchik not only excelled on the playing field, but she was also very successful in the classroom. She earned an impressive 4.27 grade point average at Bishop Kelley while balancing a busy high school and club soccer schedule.
“I’ve always thought that school was the first thing,” said Tokarchik, who grew up playing for TSC Hurricane club team. “Soccer is my fun and getaway from reality. I’ve always known that school has to come first because that’s how I’m going to get to college.”
Her strong academic and athletic accomplishments caught the eye of several colleges during the recruiting process. She eventually committed to the University of Tulsa and is scheduled to report to campus next week. The school’s strong academic programs and a good relationship with the Golden Hurricane coaching staff made it a comfortable choice.
“Getting to know the coaches and players at TU over the years, it’s just like a huge family,” stated Tokarchik, who plans to major in kinesiology with the long term goal of becoming an orthopedic physician’s assistant. “It’s a tight-knit group that really makes it feel like home.”
Troy played for TU in the early 1990s and getting the opportunity to coach Madison in high school and watch her play at his alma mater is extremely satisfying.
“Most parents, when their children become 15, 16, 17 years old there’s some potential disconnect. Having that opportunity to coach her has definitely made us closer in the long run. It’s just a wonderful joy to be able to be with your kid. That’s worth its weight in gold to me.”
