Soccer Earns Conference Honors, Morris Named Midfielder of the Year
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – The Great American Conference released its end of the year accolades and Player of the Year recipients, and the East Central University soccer team was well represented, with six players earning recognition for their exceptional performances both on and off the field.
2024 Soccer All-GAC
Senior
Abbie Morris led the way, earning Midfielder of the Year honors and a unanimous All-GAC First Team selection. Morris' standout season in the midfield played a pivotal role in ECU's offensive success, scoring six goals—ranking second in the GAC. This marks Morris' third consecutive All-GAC recognition, and her first unanimous selection, capping off a stellar career with the Tigers.
Three other Tigers were honored for their consistency and contributions. Senior
Paige Jones, along with freshmen
Emily Cavazos and
Madison Mayhall, all earned All-GAC Honorable Mention recognition. Jones, a team captain, brought invaluable experience and leadership to the squad, anchoring a defense that posted six shutouts. Cavazos and Mayhall, in their first seasons, made immediate impacts, with Cavazos excelling as a key defensive presence, and Mayhall emerging as a force in goal, recording 120 saves, six shutouts, and five wins in goal.
Off the field, seniors
Linea Andersen and
Brooklyn Meisner were named GAC Elite Scholar Athletes, an award given to student-athletes with the highest GPA with a minimum of 70 hours.
Additionally,
Addisyn Brown,
Paige Jones,
Ava Jordan,
Abbie Morris,
Lillianne Rehfuss, and
Reece Roberson were named to the GAC Academic Honor Roll, and honor given to to student-athletes with at least a 3.5 GPA and a minimum of one-year, full-time college residency.
Although ECU narrowly missed out on a spot in the 2024 GAC Soccer Championships, the team had a season to remember. The Tigers finished fifth in the conference standings, posting a 5-10-3 overall record and a 4-5-3 mark in conference play—its best performance since 2019.
