Cliff Grassmick / Staff Photographer)
Like all of her eventual teammates for the CU soccer program's graduating class of 2016, Nikki Machalek faced a critical moment of consternation before her arrival on campus.
Because of the sport's nature of early commitments, none of the freshmen set to join the Buffaloes in the fall of 2012 had pledged their collegiate careers to coach Danny Sanchez, who took over the Buffs' program that season.
Machalek, though, didn't waver in her commitment. A Boulder native and graduate of Fairview, it had always been her dream to play for her hometown team.