Rising beyond her 16 years

Brewer among youngest athletes in Bruins' history, but shows she's budding soccer star

- By Ben Bolch

MEILA BREWER’S age often amuses her Bruins teammates, some of whom are seven years older than the freshman phenom.

UCLA Athletics

She doesn't have a driver's license. Often doesn't get movie references. Reminds many of their little sisters.

There's always some story or tidbit involving Meila Brewer that will make her teammates laugh or gush about playing alongside the freshman center back who's believed to be the youngest athlete in UCLA history.

Why, it wasn't so long ago that Brewer floored everybody else on the women's soccer team when each player shared how old they were when the pandemic hit. As almost everybody ticked off one year or another in high school, all eyes turned to Brewer.

"Oh," she announced, "I was in fifth grade."

That doesn't mean that she's easily identifiable. Coach Marguerite Aozasa has made an informal game of asking anyone who inquires about having a 16-year-old on her roster to pick her out when scanning the players on the field.

No one has gotten it right on the first handful of attempts.

"They'll point out three or four players," Aozasa said, "and I'll be like, 'No, it's probably the one you would least expect.'"

Being one of the tallest players on the team at 5-foot-8 provides some cover, but it's also her precocious nature and the skills she developed while training with a professional team and playing for the U.S. youth national team that give her a veteran presence.

There's been no underage shrinking, Brewer living up to every moment as fourth-seeded UCLA (11-5-3) prepares to open the NCAA tournament at 6 p.m. Saturday at home against Pepperdine (11-6-2).

OK, maybe a hint of her youth emerged when she was asked how she felt about playing on college soccer's biggest stage.

"Freaking out," Brewer said. "Like, when you think about it, I'm soooo excited, that's like the only way you can put it."