Jen Maxfield was a track star in high school. (Photo courtesy of NJYS)

NBC New York reporter and anchor Jen Maxfield will emcee the 2023 NJYS Annual Awards Dinner on Friday.

Maxfield is an Emmy Award winning reporter and a former track star.

“It is my pleasure and an honor to emcee the 2023 New Jersey Youth Soccer Awards Dinner, celebrating New Jersey’s soccer players and coaches who are making a difference in their community through youth athletics,” Maxfield said in a statement.

Growing up in Tenafly, N.J., Maxfield earned eight varsity letters in high school and held the Tenafly high jump record for 26 years at 5 feet, three incches. Her love for athletics led her to pursue sports medicine at Columbia College in New York City. She loved writing and soon earned an internship for CNN at the United Nations. This opportunity changed her career path to becoming a reporter.

“We are excited to have Jen Maxfield’s expertise in our run-of-show this year,” NJYS executive director Evan Dabby said in a statement. “The NJYS Annual Awards Dinner is a time to honor our members, and Jen more than up to the task of emcee.”

Each year, New Jersey Youth Soccer hosts approximately 800 guests at its dinner, honoring New Jersey players, teams, coaches, referees and volunteers for outstanding performances and contributions during the preceding year. The evening also acknowledges many of the state’s boys and girls U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series, Presidents Cup and Challenge Cup team champions, as well as players selected for the U.S. Youth Soccer East Region ODP pool team.

Front Row Soccer editor Michael Lewis has covered 13 World Cups (eight men, five women), seven Olympics and 25 MLS Cups. He has written about New York City FC, New York Cosmos, the New York Red Bulls and both U.S. national teams for Newsday and has penned a soccer history column for the Guardian.com. Lewis, who has been honored by the Press Club of Long Island and National Soccer Coaches Association of America, is the former editor of BigAppleSoccer.com. He has written seven books about the beautiful game and has published ALIVE AND KICKING The incredible but true story of the Rochester Lancers. It is available at Amazon.com.