Celia Gaynor
{{Short description|American soccer player (born 2000)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2025}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Celia Gaynor
| fullname = Celia Clare Gaynor{{cite web |url=https://www.butler.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2022/05/Spring-2022-Commencement-Progra.pdf |title=Spring 2022 Commencement Program |page=32 |accessdate=March 7, 2025 |publisher=Butler University}}
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|03|25}}
| birth_place =
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=8}}
| position= Defender
| currentclub = Fort Lauderdale United FC
| clubnumber = 4
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Nationals DA
| collegeyears1 = 2018–2021
| college1 = Butler Bulldogs
| collegecaps1 = 41
| collegegoals1 = 1
| collegeyears2 = 2022–2023
| college2 = Michigan State Spartans
| collegecaps2 = 43
| collegegoals2 = 5
| years1 = 2022–2023
| clubs1 = AFC Flint City
| caps1 =
| goals1 =
| years2 = 2024–
| clubs2= Fort Lauderdale United
| caps2 = 14
| goals2= 0
| club-update = March 7, 2025
}}
Celia Clare Gaynor (born March 25, 2000) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Fort Lauderdale United FC of the USL Super League. She played college soccer for the Butler Bulldogs and the Michigan State Spartans. She is the sister of soccer player Justina Gaynor.
Early life
Gaynor grew up in Shelby Township, Michigan, where she played club soccer for Nationals DA.{{Cite web |title=Celia Gaynor - 2020-21 - Women's Soccer |url=https://butlersports.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/celia--gaynor/9632 |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Butler University Athletics |language=en}} She attended high school at the Notre Dame Preparatory School and Marist Academy in the nearby town of Pontiac.{{Cite web |title=Celia Gaynor - Women's Soccer |url=https://msuspartans.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/celia-gaynor/13265 |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Michigan State University Athletics |language=en}} Gaynor was a three-year starter at Notre Dame prep,{{Cite web |date=2024-07-19 |title=Former Notre Dame Prep, MSU standout Celia Gaynor ready to shine with Fort Lauderdale United FC |url=https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2024/07/19/former-notre-dame-prep-msu-standout-celia-gaynor-ready-to-shine-with-fort-lauderdale-united-fc/ |url-access=registration |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=The Oakland Press |language=en-US}} contributing largely to two consecutive division championships and a Michigan D2 State title in 2016.{{Cite web |last=Purcell |first=Jared |date=2016-06-15 |title=Gaynor's goal lifts Notre Dame Prep soccer to state finals with 1-0 revenge win over Marian |url=https://www.mlive.com/highschoolsports/article/gaynors-lone-goal-lifts-notre-dame-prep-soccer-to-state-finals-with-1-0-revenge-win-over-marian/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=mlive |language=en}} As a sophomore, she led the team with 19 goals and was named to the all-region and all-district teams at the end of the season.{{Cite web |last=Purcell |first=Jared |date=2017-04-12 |title=Get to know Pontiac Notre Dame Prep soccer stud Celia Gaynor |url=https://www.mlive.com/sports/detroit/2017/04/get_to_know_pontiac_notre_dame.html |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=mlive |language=en}} Gaynor reached greater heights the following year, also being named to the all-state team as a junior. In August 2016, Gaynor committed to Butler University.
College career
= Butler Bulldogs =
Gaynor began play with the Butler Bulldogs in 2018, operating as a midfielder and playing 12 games as a freshman. Her sophomore season started with a bang, with Gaynor netting her first collegiate goal on Butler's opening match of 2019.{{Cite web |date=2019-08-23 |title=Butler women’s soccer routs Morehead State in season opener |url=https://thebutlercollegian.com/2019/08/butler-womens-soccer-routs-morehead-state-in-season-opener/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=The Butler Collegian |language=en-US}} She would find further offensive success, recording a career-high 17 shots across 19 games. She played one more season with Butler before transferring to Michigan State University.{{Cite web |last=Couch |first=Graham |title=Couch: How MSU's women's soccer program so quickly changed course and became Big Ten champions |url=https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/sports/columnists/graham-couch/2022/10/21/michigan-state-womens-soccer-how-msu-quickly-became-big-ten-champs/69579251007/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Lansing State Journal |language=en-US}} Gaynor graduated from Butler with 41 appearances and, in the academic realm, summa cum laude honors in strategic communication and communication sciences and disorders.
= Michigan State Spartans =
In her first season with Michigan State, Gaynor appeared in all 23 matches across the season. The Spartans qualified for the 2022 NCAA Tournament, playing their first-ever NCAA home match against Milwaukee in November 2022. During the match, Gaynor played 25 minutes and scored a goal to help Michigan State secure a 3–2 victory.{{Cite web |last=Friend |first=Phil |title="We're not done yet": Camryn Evans' OT goal lifts MSU soccer in NCAA tournament opener |url=https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/sports/college/msu/2022/11/12/msu-womens-soccer-wins-ncaa-tournament-opener-over-milwaukee/69639353007/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Lansing State Journal |language=en-US}} At the end of the season, she was named to the Academic All Big-Ten team.{{Cite web |title=2 Spartans Named Fall Academic All-Big Ten |url=https://msutoday.msu.edu/errors/500?error=%2fnews%2f2022%2fspartans-named-fall-academic-all-big-ten |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=MSUToday |language=en}}
Gaynor moved to the backline in her final year of college, converting into a defender.{{Cite web |title=Celia Gaynor selected by Chicago Red Stars in NWSL 2024 draft |url=https://statenews.com/article/2024/01/celia-gaynor-selected-by-chicago-red-stars-in-nwsl-2024-draft?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_featured |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=The State News |language=en-us}} She helped Michigan State reach a consecutive NCAA tournament appearance for the second time in history and played all three matches, including MSU's inaugural third-round appearance. Gaynor was named to the All Big-Ten First Team for her efforts.{{Cite web |title=Big Ten Conference Announces 2023 Women’s Soccer Postseason Honors |url=https://bigten.org/wsoc/article/bltd0dc9adee9aad86d/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Big Ten Conference}} She completed her Michigan State career having helped the team win a conference title in both years,{{Cite web |title=Celia Gaynor selected by Chicago Red Stars in NWSL 2024 draft |url=https://statenews.com/article/2024/01/celia-gaynor-selected-by-chicago-red-stars-in-nwsl-2024-draft?ct=content_open&cv=cbox_featured |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=The State News |language=en-us}} racking up 43 appearances and 5 goals along the way.
Club career
The Chicago Red Stars selected Gaynor in the fourth round of the 2024 NWSL Draft, making her the 45th overall pick of the league's final draft. After training with the Red Stars in preseason, Gaynor was eventually informed that Chicago were not ready to offer her a contract, but could keep her as a non-rostered training player. She was later introduced to an opportunity Fort Lauderdale United FC by Red Stars head coach Lorne Donaldson and departed from Chicago to explore the opportunity in Florida.
= Fort Lauderdale United FC =
On May 20, 2024, Fort Lauderdale United FC of the USL Super League signed Gaynor to her first professional contract ahead of the league's inaugural season.{{Cite web |title=Fort Lauderdale United FC boosts defense with signing of Celia Gaynor |url=https://www.uslsuperleague.com/news/2024/05/20/fort-lauderdale-united-fc-boosts-defense-with-signing-of-celia-gaynor/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=USL Super League |language=en-US}} She started in Fort Lauderdale's first-ever match, a 1–1 draw with Spokane Zephyr FC.{{Cite web |title=Match Center - Spokane Zephyr FC vs Fort Lauderdale United FC |url=https://www.uslsuperleague.com/spokanezephyrfc-fortlauderdaleunitedfc-2441106/ |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=USL Super League |language=en-US}} As the season progressed, Gaynor cultivated a strong center-back pairing with Laveni Vaka{{Cite web |title=Fort Lauderdale United FC suffers first defeat at their new stadium |url=https://sportsactionrundown.com/usl-super-league/fort-lauderdale-united-fc-suffers-first-defeat-at-their-new-stadium |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Sports Action Rundown |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Morrissey |first=John |title=USL Super League Power Rankings: inaugural edition! |url=https://www.usltactics.com/p/usl-super-league-power-rankings-inaugural |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=www.usltactics.com |language=en}} and was later named to the USL Super League Team of the Month for October after playing every minute of the month.{{Cite web |title=USL Super League Team of the Month - October |url=https://www.uslsuperleague.com/news/2024/11/06/usl-super-league-team-of-the-month-october/ |access-date=2025-03-24 |website=USL Super League |language=en-US}}
Personal life
She is the sister of Chicago Stars FC defender Justina Gaynor. The siblings played together for one season at Butler University and two at Michigan State.{{Cite web |title=Justina Gaynor - Women's Soccer |url=https://msuspartans.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/justina-gaynor/13944 |access-date=2025-03-08 |website=Michigan State University Athletics |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Chicago Stars FC Signs Defender, Justina Gaynor |url=https://chicagostars.com/first-team/chicago-stars-fc-signs-defender-justina-gaynor/ |website=Chicago Stars |access-date=March 13, 2025 |date=March 12, 2025}}
Career statistics
= Club =
{{updated|March 7, 2025{{soccerway|-/949226}}}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|+Appearances and goals by club, season and competition ! rowspan="2" |Club ! rowspan="2" |Season ! colspan="3" |League ! colspan="2" |Cup ! colspan="2" |Playoffs ! colspan="2" |Total |
| Division
!Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals |
|---|
| Fort Lauderdale United FC
|14 |0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— |14 |0 |
| colspan="3" |Career total
!14 !0 ! colspan="2" |— ! colspan="2" |— !14 !0 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{sports links}}
- [https://butlersports.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/celia--gaynor/9632 Celia Gaynor] at Butler Bulldogs
- [https://msuspartans.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/celia-gaynor/13265 Celia Gaynor] at Michigan State Spartans
- [https://www.ftlutd.com/roster/celia-gaynor/ Celia Gaynor] at Fort Lauderdale United FC
{{Fort Lauderdale United FC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gaynor, Celia}}
Category:Soccer players from Michigan
Category:American women's soccer players
Category:Women's association football defenders
Category:Butler Bulldogs women's soccer players
Category:Michigan State Spartans women's soccer players
Category:Chicago Red Stars draft picks
Category:Fort Lauderdale United FC players