College Achievers: Stevenson grad Mimi Van Zanten can’t decide which NCAA title is best

Mimi Van Zanten, a 2023 graduate of Stevenson High School who is a junior defender on the Florida State University women’s soccer team, has now started for two national championship teams.

On Dec. 8 in Kansas City, Mo., the Seminoles defeated Stanford 1-0 to win the NCAA College Cup, the program’s fifth overall, with Van Zanten on the field all 90 minutes.

In 2023 as a freshman, Van Zanten assisted on one of undefeated Florida State’s goals in a 5-1 win over Stanford in Cary, N.C.

There’s no way for the Buffalo Grove product to pick a favorite title team.

“I wouldn’t say that there was a better one. I think both experiences were incredible. I mean, you come to Florida State to win national championships, so I’m very blessed to have two now,” she said.

“Obviously, two completely different seasons, though. Coming in as a freshman I was terrified” — she chuckled — “but had so many great leaders and veterans on that team that really helped bring the group together and we went undefeated (22-0-1) that season. That kind of set my expectations incredibly high.

“This year is a lot different. We went through some rough parts, but I feel that those rough parts were what got us to that national championship. Having to overcome those obstacles just made us a lot better team and a lot closer, too,” Van Zanten said.

Entering this fall as the No. 36 player on Top Drawer Soccer’s Top 100 Preseason Players list, Van Zanten finished the season as a United Soccer Coaches second-team Atlantic region pick, with a second Atlantic Coast Conference third-team selection.

Her main rough spell was getting stepped on and missing four games with a broken toe.

She returned to her starting spot to complete the season with 1 goal and 5 assists while starting 18 of the 19 games she played for the 16-2-4 Seminoles.

Van Zanten played all 110 minutes of a scoreless tie against Virginia, and had 2 assists in her first multi-assist game, against California. She scored on a tap-in and had an assist against Georgetown in the NCAA third round, her first 3-point game.

“That was incredible,” Van Zanten said of the Georgetown game, on a list of highlights that included the championship victory and a game she missed but still got a big kick out of, a 1-0 victory over rival North Carolina.

Van Zanten is majoring in sociology with a minor in criminology. She claims to be “the world’s worst procrastinator” but enjoys her studies particularly within her major. Sociology was her favorite subject at Stevenson, she said.

She’s the third of three soccer-playing sisters. Brianna played at Case Western Reserve, and Kalyssa “Kiki” Van Zanten played for Notre Dame and is now with the Houston Dash of the National Women’s Soccer League.

Their mother, Priscilla, was born and raised in Jamaica. Dual citizens, both Kiki and Mimi Van Zanten are members of Jamaica’s women’s national team. Kiki Van Zanten played in the 2023 World Cup.

Though Mimi Van Zanten (given name Amelia) had much success playing for United States national teams, and helped the coach Mike Nesci’s Eclipse Select club win an Elite Club National League title in 2021, she is “officially tied with Jamaica now,” she said.

“(I) decided that I want to represent the country my mom was born in, and get to play with my sister on the full national team in hopes to make another World Cup,” she said.

Van Zanten credited Nesci and Eclipse with the development that “really catapulted my soccer journey.”

The journey included one all-state season with Stevenson, when under coach PepeJon Chavez the Patriots won the 2022 North Suburban Conference title.

“I grew up playing soccer with his daughter (Bella), so it was a really cool experience,” Van Zanten said.

“A lot of people, I feel like, hate on their experience in high school and everything, but I loved mine,” she said.

“Stevenson was great, they supported me throughout all my absences because I was always missing something for soccer. The teachers were really great helping me do my makeup work and missed finals and everything. I really, really enjoyed it.”

Currently, Van Zanten enjoys speculating about a third NCAA title in four seasons at Florida State.

“Oh my gosh, yeah. That’s the goal right now.”