Simmons, Io, Toennies, Fenwick Lead All-SWAC Soccer Awards
SWAC.org
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Southwestern Athletic Conference announced Wednesday morning the 2015 All-SWAC Soccer Teams with Nykosi Simmons of Mississippi Valley State, Kyleigh Io and Faith Toennies of Jackson State and Karrisa Fenwick of Arkansas-Pine Bluff claiming individual award recognition. Accolades were voted on by the league’s coaches and sports information directors.
After finishing sixth in the conference in 2014 with a 4-11-3 record, Simmons aided in the advancement of the Devilettes closing this regular season with an almost perfect SWAC record.
Simmons earned her Offensive Player of the Year title after being nationally ranked by the NCAA in many categories including goals per game (1.26), points per game (2.74), total points (52) and total goals (24). Simmons’ play also improved the overall national standing of MVSU, bringing the Devilettes to a first-place position in scoring offence (3.79), assists per game (3.11), points per game (10.68), total assists (59), total points (203) and total goals (72). She tops the Conference in six categories after grabbing three hat tricks.
Arkansas-Pine Bluff’s Fenwick established an impressive freshman resume, leading the young, Lady Lions to a 7-9-1 regular season finish. She was named Co-Freshman of the Year.
In her first collegiate season, Fenwick registered a team-high 10 goals and managed a .455 shot on goal percentage. She holds top-10 spots in some conference categories including shots (seventh with 44) and goals (tied at sixth with 10).
The Lady Tigers of Jackson State finished second (11-6- 2) in the SWAC, but grabbed three individual accolades between Io and Toennies.
Io led a strong JKST defense, starting in all 16 contests and logging 1238 total minutes on the pitch, recording two scores – one being a winning goal – for a .429 on target percentage. She received the Defensive Player of the Year award.
Toennies was honored twice after starting in eight of the 11 games. She allowed a league low 13 goals and tops the SWAC in save percentage at .856 (29th in the nation) and in shutouts at five. She also secured top-10 places in the Conference in total saves (eighth with 77) and saves per game (ninth at 5.50) and was named SWAC Goalie of the Week on four separate occasions – the most of any student-athlete in the league on the season.
The double honors accepted by Toennies were Co-Freshman of the Year and Goalie of the Year.
JKST received the most student-athletes named to the All-SWAC teams with eight.
The entire 2015 All-SWAC Teams list is below.
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2015 OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
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Nykosi Simmons
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Mississippi Valley State
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2015 DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
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Kyleigh Io
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Jackson State
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2015 CO-FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
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Faith Toennies* / Karrisa Fenwick*
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Jackson State* / Arkansas-Pine Bluff*
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2015 GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
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Faith Toennies
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Jackson State
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FIRST TEAM
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FORWARDS
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Nykosi Simmons
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Mississippi valley State
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Alicia Cooper
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Prairie View A&M
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Kela Gray
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Howard
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MIDFIELDERS
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Ernestina Abambila
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Mississippi Valley State
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Laadi Issaka
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Mississippi Valley State
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Marlyn Campa
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Texas Southern
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Ariela Lewis
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Alabama State
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DEFENDERS
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Kendall Hamilton
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Howard
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Amberly Halstead
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Mississippi valley State
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Rayana Speight
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Jackson State
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GOALKEEPER
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Faith Toennies
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Jackson State
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SECOND TEAM
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FORWARDS
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Aaliyah Lewis
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Alabama State
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Heather Craddock
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Mississippi Valley State
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Rasheeda Ansari
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Howard
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MIDFIELDERS
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Jalana Ellis
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Jackson State
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Mariana Balbao
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Mississippi Valley State
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Sara Vaughan
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Howard
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Kalen Roberts
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Jackson State
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DEFENDERS
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Kyleigh Io
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Jackson State
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MaKayla Johnson
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Texas Southern
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Breanna Powell
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Prairie View A&M
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GOALKEEPER
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Mackenzie Diotte* / Dominique Dillon*
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Howard* / Prairie View A&M*
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*Indicates Tie