Deadpool, football club owner, Hugh Jackman’s partner in crime — chances are you know the story of Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds.
However, wedged between his native city of Vancouver and the big screens of Hollywood are the states of Washington and Oregon — both places Kansas State’s Ryann Reynolds has called home.
Reynolds, a native of Snohomish, Washington, burst onto the Manhattan soccer scene this year. Just over midway through the Wildcats’ 2024 campaign, the 5-foot-7 sophomore forward leads the team with nine points.
Bearing the name of a celebrity, it’s safe to say Reynolds has experience with people poking fun at the coincidence.
“Oh my gosh, so many times,” Reynolds said on the frequency. “I’ll be just at the grocery store — it’s everywhere. Airports, every time I show my ID or say my name at restaurants.”
With the platform of competing at a power conference school, Reynolds has the opportunity to write her own story.
“I always wanted to make a name for myself, whether I have the same name as someone or not,” she said.
Reynolds calls the Little Apple home in the latest chapter of her story.
At Glacier Peak High School, she helped guide the squad to four straight conference titles. After graduating, Reynolds signed on to stay in the Pacific Northwest, playing at Oregon her freshman year.
During her rookie campaign, Reynolds played in 17 matches and led the Ducks with five points, including tying the team lead with two goals. After the successful season, Reynolds wanted a new challenge.
She entered the transfer portal and compiled a checklist to cover the bases for the next chapter of her collegiate career.
“When I came out of the portal, I wanted a positive environment,” Reynolds said. “I wanted good energy — I wanted to get better, both as a person and as a player.”
From the team’s point of view, it was a natural connection between Reynolds, the staff and her teammates — namely USC transfer and Seattle native Jayce Woodward.
“[Reynolds] reached out, it started with Jayce Woodward and that connection out in the west,” head coach Mike Dibbini said. “Obviously, [coaches Mario Felix and Jaycie Ackerman] — we were in a transfer portal, it worked out for us.”
It’s a coach’s dream to land a player with an immediate impact like Reynolds had for K-State. Dibinni describes her prowess as an offensive threat.
“She’s scoring goals [and] creating chances for us,” Dibbini said. “She has a pretty high IQ for us in the attack. … We’re excited that she’s here and we still have her for two or three more years.”
It’s been a perfect pairing from Reynolds’ perspective as well.
“I’m getting better here and it’s just nothing but positive energy — I love it,” she said.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, moving to the Midwest would be a culture shock to many, but Reynolds was already a “little country gal.”
“Fun fact, I have three goats at home … so I’ve been fitting in well,” Reynolds said. “I love it [in Manhattan]. I don’t want to go back to the cold.”
Though the warmer weather welcomed Reynolds with open arms, she had to adjust to life nearly 2,000 miles away from home — and her goats.
“I’m very family-oriented, so leaving family and going halfway across the country sucks,” Reynolds said. “But they’ve always supported me through everything and come on visits to see me, so it’s great.”
Luckily for her, the confines of Buser Family Park were all Reynolds could ask for: a home away from home in Manhattan.
“It’s so family-oriented,” she said. “I love everyone, from the staff to the players — everyone has been so welcoming and amazing.”
The Wildcat family will continue to grow together as the program boasts a young roster, looking to build on its 3-7-2 mark so far this season.
In addition to Reynolds, the Wildcats’ point leaders are freshmen Allison Marshall and Langley Mayers, alongside sophomores Morgan Struttmann and Jo Sees.
“We already have grown so much from the start of preseason to now,” Reynolds said. “We do have a lot of stuff to fix, but you know the chemistry is there. We just need to keep working.”
