South Dakota's Maliah Atkins will get another opportunity at performing on the world stage. The sophomore from Roxborough, Colorado has earned another chance to represent Jamacia at the CONCACAF women's Under-20 Championships. The tournament will be played in the Dominican Republic and consist of group stage play and a tournament-style play following the group stage.
 
This is the second time Atkins will be playing on the U20 team. Her first time was back in 2020 and she also played on the U17 Jamaican team back in 2018 when the tournament was held in Haiti.
 
"The team is super cool because it is a great mix of girls that are from Jamaica and girls that are Jamaican based on their family relations, such as me," said Atkins. "The one thing we all need is Jamaican citizenship to play, so I have actually been a Jamaican citizen since the summer of 2018. We all have different levels of play and styles, so it's always a new challenge to bring those together but rewarding when we can do it and achieve a common goal together."
 
Atkins and the team are in group H alongside Haiti, Guatemala, and Cuba. In the last tournament in 2020, Atkins, along with her Jamaican teammates, did something that no other Jamaican women's soccer team had done before. They defeated Canada, 3-1, to win Group E and advance to the knockout stage. Once in the knockout stage, the Jamaican team faced Bermuda in the first game and won 9-1. The Jamaican team was eliminated by the Dominican Republic in the next round after a late goal by the host country. Atkins and the team look to build off their run in 2020 heading in to the 2022 tournament.
 
"I am excited to go back to the Dominican Republic because it is a super cool place and it's always a fun experience to travel while playing the game I love," said Atkins. "I have had a lot of support from my coaching staff, advisor, athletic staff, and professors with this opportunity and it is an honor to represent the school and make them proud."
 
Atkins and the Jamaican team will begin their championship run Saturday against Guatemala. The game is set to kick-off at 2:00 p.m. from Panamericano Stadium.