Club soccer coach disputes 'Varsity Blues' UCLA student from Hillsborough played on his team

ByMelanie Woodrow KGO logo
Thursday, March 21, 2019
Club soccer coach disputes 'Varsity Blues' UCLA student played on his team
The soccer club's coaching director says during the years Isackson claims she was on the team, a team for her age group didn't even exist.

HILLSBOROUGH, Calif. -- A local soccer coach says the daughter of a Hillsborough couple charged in the college admissions scandal never played on his team even though that's not what her college application said.

The Key Athletics Club, part of Rick Singer's purported non-profit at the center of the college admissions scandal, describes Lauren Isackson in a blog post as the "Captain of her local club soccer team."

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Her UCLA Women's Soccer bio says she's a midfielder majoring in psychology and includes a similar description; "Team captain for Woodside Soccer Club from 2012 to 2016 and selected Team MVP in 2015."

"I would say team captain and MVP, would be hard to be that of a team that doesn't exist," said Zak Ibsen.

Zak Ibsen took over as Woodside Soccer Club's Coaching Director two years ago. He says during the years Isackson claims she was on the team, a team for her age group didn't even exist.

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"We have been unable to substantiate any claims or any proof that she ever participated on any of our teams," said Ibsen.

According to the criminal complaint, Isackson's first choice was USC, as a purported soccer recruit. Due to a clerical error, her application was diverted to the regular admissions process. The former head coach of USC then forwarded the falsified soccer profile to the head coach of UCLA men's soccer, Jorge Salcedo, who was named in the indictment. UCLA has placed him on leave.

"As soon as I heard a player getting recruited to UCLA from Woodside soccer club it definitely smelled fishy to me," said Ibsen.

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The complaint says Lauren's parents, Bruce and Davina Isackson took part in both the college recruitment scheme and the college entrance exam cheating scheme for two of their children, paying with shares of Facebook stock. Also, that they took a tax write-off for the payments.

When Rick Singer began cooperating with investigators, he had recorded phone and in-person conversations with the Isackson's.

During an in-person conversation, Bruce Isackson worried the news would get out saying, "... you know, the embarrassment to everyone in the communities. Oh my God, it would just be - yeah. Ugh."

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Later in that same conversation, Isackson told Singer if they proceeded with the cheating scheme for their third child, they'd pay in cash.

ABC7 News has reached out to Bruce and Davina Isackson.

We have not heard back.

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