A passionate football fan since an early age, Lawrence High senior Abby Vestal’s national periodical of choice – Sports Illustrated – should come as no surprise.

“I definitely read it all the time,” she said.

And Vestal will have added incentive to peruse SI this week.

She will serve as a feature subject in SI’s “Faces In The Crowd.” Her mugshot will accompany a short bio.

She becomes the second LHS athlete named Abby to be included in that section. Abby Jones appeared earlier in the year to honor the records she established as high school gymnast.

Vestal has her own set of accolades. She served as the first female kicker on the LHS football team, played steady minutes for the LHS basketball team and currently guides the LHS soccer team as the lone senior.

The Johnson County Community College-bound soccer star also became the first full-time female player for the Kansas Koyotes, a Topeka-based American Professional Football League team. She has helped manage the added time constraints of the new endeavor by keeping meticulous to-do lists and then crossing off the items one-by-one.

“It’s pretty stressful,” she said.

However, she has enjoyed her time with the Koyotes. A diverse set of teammates treats her well, and they have jumped to a 2-0 record. The starting kicker, Vestal has made four of 13 field-goal attempts.

“It’s pretty bad, looking at stats,” she said. “But I felt like I’ve done pretty well adapting to the quick snapping.”

Vestal has faced other adversity. A right foot injury, the exact nature of which has not been determined, requires her to use a walking boot. She will receive more X-rays after she completes her high school season.

The affliction hinders her more during soccer, limiting practice time, than football.

“It’s not really a big deal,” she said. “I just kind of tape it up and play through it.”

If Vestal can help the Lions beat Free State during today’s Class 6A regional soccer game, it will enhance her story detailed in a national magazine.

LHS will face FSHS at 5 today at Free State High.

“It will be pretty cool,” she said. “It’s really exciting.”