Success Stories
Over 16 years of structured placements across NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA and USports. Explore the individual journeys of Australian footballers who found their pathway to US college soccer.
This is a small selection from hundreds of Upper 90 College alumni. New stories are added regularly.
Years Placing Australian Footballers
Scholarships Secured
National Champions Across NCAA, NAIA & NJCAA
Active College Network Programs
Zoe Edwards
NAIA – Keiser University
From: Freshwater FC / NSW State Champion
Athletic Scholarship – NAIA
Zoe Edwards made history in 2025, becoming Upper 90 College's first-ever female National Champion – and the sixth Australian National Champion across 15 years of the Upper 90 program. Growing up in Sydney's Northern Beaches, Zoe starred for Freshwater Senior Campus, helping her school claim the NSW High School State Championship in both 2022 and 2023. Her consistent excellence in the NSW Premier League environment caught the attention of Upper 90 Founder John Stevanja, who identified her immediately as a player with the attributes to thrive in the US college game: athletic, intelligent, competitive, and relentlessly hard-working. After being placed at Keiser University in Delray Beach, Florida – one of the NAIA's most competitive programs – Zoe adapted quickly to the demands of American college soccer. In her freshman year she appeared in three games, learning the system and earning the trust of the coaching staff. By her sophomore year she had become a key contributor, starting 13 games and totalling 10 appearances, recording one goal across her career as she formed part of a cohesive, championship-calibre squad. On May 27, 2025, Zoe and her Keiser University teammates were crowned 2025 NAIA Women's Soccer National Champions – completing one of the great journeys available to any young Australian footballer. Her achievement put her alongside Upper 90 legends Daniel Linstead, Eric Birighitti, Zac Harvey-Latham, and Simon Kalinauskas as program National Champions, while also becoming the program's first female champion. Zoe's story also reflects a broader truth about the US college soccer pathway: the women's game in America has never been more professionally aligned. Following her footsteps, Upper 90 alumna Emma Bates signed a professional contract with the Newcastle Jets A-League Women – demonstrating that the US college system is now a clear stepping stone to professional football for Australian women.
Read Full StoryBook a SessionSimon Kalinauskas
D1 → D3 – West Virginia University → Amherst College
From: Sydney City Hakoah / Apia Leichhardt Tigers
NCAA Division III – Merit-Based Financial Aid
Simon Kalinauskas's journey to a 2024 NCAA Division III National Championship is one of the most remarkable transformation stories in Upper 90 College history — a tale of perseverance, reinvention, and ultimately glory at the highest level of D3 soccer in America. Growing up in Sydney, Simon developed across multiple elite clubs including Sydney City Hakoah, St. George Saints, Blacktown Spartans, and Apia Leichhardt Tigers, building a profile as a commanding, technically sound defender. In 2019 he was part of the NSW Combined High Schools U19 State Championship-winning side — an outstanding individual achievement. It was Upper 90 College founder John Stevanja who first placed Simon into the US college system at West Virginia University (NCAA Division I) in 2021, where he enrolled as a Mountaineer. Though he did not break into the first team in Morgantown, that D1 placement was the springboard for everything that followed. Rather than accept a passive role, Simon made the bold decision to transfer to Amherst College in Massachusetts — one of the nation's most prestigious liberal arts institutions — where he could compete, grow, and contribute at the highest level his talent allowed. The move proved transformational. In his first full season at Amherst (2022), Simon started 19 games, scored one goal and added four assists. In 2023 he elevated further — starting all 22 games, scoring five goals including three game-winners, and earning CSC Academic All-District and NESCAC All-Academic honours, confirming his status as both elite athlete and scholar. Then came 2024. Simon delivered one of the signature moments of the entire NCAA Division III tournament, scoring the overtime winner in the Elite Eight to send Amherst College through to the national final stages — a goal that will be replayed in Division III soccer highlight reels for years to come. Amherst went on to clinch the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer National Championship, capping Simon's college career with the ultimate team prize and completing a journey from a D1 bench in West Virginia to the summit of D3 soccer. His story is proof that the right division matters more than the biggest division — and that the right guidance at the start can carry a player all the way to a national championship.
Read Full StoryBook a SessionZac Harvey-Latham
NCAA Division III – St. Olaf College
From: Inner West Hawks / Northern Tigers FC
NCAA Division III – Merit-Based Financial Aid
Zac Harvey-Latham's journey from the soccer pitches of New South Wales to a national championship title in the snow-belt of Minnesota is one of the defining Upper 90 College stories – a testament to patience, academic ambition, and the power of finding the right environment at the right time. Growing up in Sydney, Zac honed his craft with Inner West Hawks and Northern Tigers FC in the NSW Premier Leagues, earning selection for the 2018 Combined Associated Schools XI – a mark of distinction in the NSW school sport system. He attended the prestigious Knox Grammar School, where academic excellence was expected alongside athletic achievement. Inspired by his older brother Eddy – himself an Upper 90 alumnus who played and graduated from the University of Alabama in Huntsville (NCAA Division II) – Zac set his own sights on the US college soccer system. His first placement was at the University of Mount Olive (NCAA Division II) in North Carolina, where he started 11 games in his freshman year and recorded the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over Belmont Abbey. Academically, he was exceptional – earning the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll in consecutive Fall and Spring semesters. Seeking a new challenge both academically and athletically, Zac transferred to St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota – ranked among the top 10 liberal arts colleges in the United States. The move proved to be the defining decision of his college career. In the 2023 season, Zac was part of a historic St. Olaf Lions squad that won the program's first-ever NCAA Division III Men's Soccer National Championship, defeating Amherst College 2-1 in overtime. The fact that both Zac's St. Olaf side and Upper 90 client Simon Kalinauskas's Amherst team met in the final was a remarkable coincidence that spoke to the depth of Australian talent flowing through the pathway. Zac became Upper 90 College's first NCAA National Champion – setting the benchmark for the golden era of championships that followed.
Read Full StoryBook a SessionDaniel Linstead
NAIA – Hastings College
From: Erindale FC – Canberra / NPL ACT
Athletic Scholarship – NAIA
Daniel Linstead's story is one of immediate impact, elite consistency, and the enduring influence a single great college soccer career can have on a player's life trajectory. From Canberra's National Premier League environment, Daniel arrived at Hastings College in Nebraska as a raw but talented centre-back – and within his first two years had become a national champion twice over. Standing 6'3" with the composure and reading of the game to match, Daniel was a natural fit for the NAIA's highly competitive environment. In his freshman year at Hastings he scored 4 goals and added 5 assists from the backline, helping the Broncos reach the NAIA National Championship Tournament. The following year – his sophomore season – Daniel was a key member of the most dominant Hastings team in a generation. The Broncos went 24-0-1 through the regular season and tournament run, culminating in a 1-0 victory over Rio Grande in the 2016 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship final in Delray Beach, Florida. Daniel earned GPAC Defensive Player of the Week honours during the championship run. His junior year saw him reach new individual heights – scoring 8 goals and adding 10 assists as Hastings returned to defend their national title. He graduated from Hastings College in 2018 and went on to sign with Lansing United of the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), demonstrating how the college pathway directly opened doors to professional football. Upper 90 College is proud to have been part of Daniel's journey from Canberra high school recruit to professional soccer player and National Champion.
Read Full StoryBook a SessionEric Birighitti
NAIA – Hastings College
From: Perth, Western Australia – NPL WA
Athletic Scholarship – NAIA
Eric Birighitti's story is one of extraordinary talent, rare courage on the field, and a legacy that will live forever in the memory of Upper 90 College and everyone who watched him play. A Perth-born defender with exceptional vision and instincts, Eric arrived at Hastings College in Nebraska as a freshman for the 2016 season, joining a squad that would go on to complete one of the most dominant championship runs in NAIA history. Despite being a first-year student, Eric quickly established himself as a key contributor in the Broncos' defensive setup, bringing Australian tenacity and technical quality to the Great Plains. The moment that cemented Eric's place in Upper 90 College history came in the 57th minute of the 2016 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Final. With the score goalless against Rio Grande of Ohio, Eric – playing off the bench in a team committed to grinding out results – produced a perfectly weighted through ball from midfield that found the feet of Lucas Venegas, who slotted the ball into the net for the only goal of the game. Hastings College were 2016 NAIA National Champions, and Eric's assist was the decisive contribution. The Broncos finished the season 24-0-1 – unbeaten national champions. Eric returned for the 2017 season, helping Hastings reach the NAIA Championship again before transferring to St. Thomas Aquinas College in New York (NCAA Division II) to continue his academic and athletic journey. Eric Birighitti passed away in January 2020 at the age of 21 in a tragic accident on Western Australia's south coast. He is remembered by Hastings College, his Upper 90 family, and the Australian football community as a fearless competitor, a generous teammate, and a young man of enormous character. His number and his contribution will never be forgotten.
Read Full StoryBook a SessionBlake Barklay
NJCAA – Southeastern Community College
From: Wollongong, NSW
Athletic Scholarship – NJCAA Division II
Blake Barklay's story is one of the most hard-fought chapters in Upper 90 College history – a young defender from Wollongong, NSW, who joined a brand-new program and helped it conquer the nation in just three years of existence. Placed at Southeastern Community College in West Burlington, Iowa – a program that had only been established three years prior – Blake joined the Blackhawks' men's soccer team as a freshman defender for the 2020-21 season. Head Coach Zac Newton had assembled a remarkable group of internationals from Spain, Brazil, South Africa, Japan, the Netherlands, Honduras, and Australia, building something genuinely special in rural Iowa. Blake was part of a squad that navigated one of the most disrupted seasons in college soccer history. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the season to be split across fall 2020 and spring 2021, with the team playing 36 games in 38 days during the spring window. Despite that extraordinary physical toll, the Blackhawks – seeded eighth nationally – arrived in Wichita, Kansas for the NJCAA Division II National Championship with momentum and belief. The final against #2 seed CCBC Essex was a thriller. Essex led 1-0 after Takeroh Murakawa's 26th-minute strike, before Bart Muns equalised for SCC. Essex retook the lead (2-1) just before halftime. SCC pushed relentlessly in the second half and when the game went to overtime, Guilherme Cunha struck the decisive goal for a 3-2 victory – completing an extraordinary championship run. Blake returned for his sophomore year (2021-22), starting 11 of 13 games, scoring 1 goal and registering a game-winning goal, demonstrating continued growth as a key contributor in the Blackhawks' backline. Across his two-year career at SCC he made 27 appearances with 17 starts, scoring 1 goal and earning 1 game-winning goal. "When we first began the soccer program, I had confidence that I could build a team that would land at the national championship," Coach Newton said after the title. "I didn't expect that it would happen so soon." Blake Barklay was a proud part of making that dream a reality.
Read Full StoryBook a SessionThere are 63 more athlete stories waiting to be discovered.
Free US College Soccer Pathway Guide
Everything you need to know about scholarships, divisions, and the recruitment process
Where Our Athletes Have Played
This is not an exhaustive list, rather an example based on hundreds of clients over the years.
Your Story Could Be Next
Every athlete on this page started with a conversation. Book your pathway session today, or download our free US college soccer guide to learn more first.