Santa Clara Falls Head Over Heels For Pickup

The flip-throw legend is alive.

Kim Pickup put the flip-throw on the map while playing soccer at Chatsworth High from 1993-96, but has taken it to new levels.

The 5-foot-9 senior with a braided ponytail dazzles fans with her throw-ins for Santa Clara, the top women’s team in the nation.

To add distance, she uses the ball as a base for a front handspring and then catapults the ball.

“They actually have a name for it,” Pickup said. “They call it the ‘Pick-Flip.’ Everybody calls it that now.”

The “Pick-Flip” became known nationally in 1996 when Pickup was showcased on ESPN during the women’s Final Four, the first of three consecutive appearances for the Broncos in the Final Four.

Hecklers have their names for the three-time All-City Section pick and The Times’ region player of the year in 1996. Her favorite is “Flipper.”

“I think it’s funny,” Pickup said. “It only bothers me when that’s all reporters want to talk about. They overlook my defensive skills. Defenders don’t get any attention.”

The four-year starter anchors a defense that recorded a school-record 16 consecutive shutouts last season.

Pickup, an aggressive player who leads the Broncos with two yellow cards, last year was selected second-team All-West Coast Conference and third-team All-West Region.

Thanks partly to Pickup, the Broncos (15-0) have surrendered only eight goals this season, many scored against their reserves late in the game. Santa Clara is 75-8-4 during Pickup’s tenure.

Pickup scored her first goal off a corner kick, sparking the Broncos to a 9-0 victory over Alabama in the Nike Classic title game in Oct. 3.

“I was just trying to hit it off my head and instead it rebounded off someone else and hit my hip and arm,” Pickup said.

“I turned around to look where the ball went and I saw it in the back of the net.”

Southland fans will be able to see the “Pick-Flip” when the Broncos face Loyola Marymount on Friday and Pepperdine on Sunday.

“It’s going to be sad,” Pickup said. “[They’re] my last games in L.A.”

Pickup, who wants to become a kindergarten teacher, hopes a pro league planned in 2001 comes to fruition.

For now, she’s concentrating on winning a national championship.

“With every game my team impresses me more and more,” Pickup said. “I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

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California’s Kendall Simmonds (Royal) was selected the MPSF player of the week.

The midfielder scored in Cal’s 1-0 victory over Cal State Sacramento on Friday and scored the go-ahead goal in the Golden Bears’ 3-1 upset over Santa Clara on Sunday.

Simmonds leads the Golden Bears in assists with six.

Cal (10-2-2) is ranked No. 17 by the NSCAA.

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Sabrina Love (Granada Hills) became a starter for St. Mary’s when forward Summer Vilkins suffered an ankle injury.

Love has played in 12 games for the Gaels (10-3). She scored a goal in St. Mary’s 3-0 victory over Gonzaga on Sept. 19 and had an assist in the Gaels’ 1-0 victory over Pepperdine on Sept. 14.

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Valorie Annunziata (Simi Valley) has started 13 games for Boise State (4-10).

She has taken five shots and has one assist for the Broncos. Her assist came in Boise State’s 3-1 loss to Gonzaga on Sept. 17.

After starting 10 games as a midfielder, Annunziata switched to defense for the last three games to relieve strain from a knee injury.

She has been having fluid drained from her knee and is expected to have surgery after the season.