WEATHERFORD, Okla. – On Wednesday, the Great American Conference announced its 2022 Women’s Soccer superlative awards, released the All-GAC teams and named its Scholar Athlete recipients. Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Alimata Rabo, Tianna Watkins, Reece Gudelj-Cox and Mark Persson won Offensive Player, Defensive Player, Newcomer and Coach of the Year, respectively. Ouachita Baptist’s Jaymee Dotson repeated as Midfielder of the Year and Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Felicia Bueno received the Elite Scholar Athlete accolade.
2022 WOMEN'S SOCCER ALL-GAC AWARDS
Rabo became a three-time Offensive Player of the Year as she led the conference in goals, 13 and points, 28. Her four game-winning goals tied the conference lead. She reestablished conference career records for goals, points and game-winning goals. Watkins became the fourth Bulldog named Defensive Player of the Year. As a freshman Gudelj-Cox started all 18 games on the backline for the Bulldogs’ top-ranked defense. SWOSU led the conference with eight shutouts and posted the top goals-against average, 1.00. Persson collected the fourth GAC Coach of the Year honor of his career.
Dotson as well as forward Jamie Fowler and defender Abbey Moore gave the Tigers three First-Team selections. Dotson scored seven goals and led the team with 15 points. Fowler also scored seven goals, including four game winners. Moore and the Ouachita defense tallied six shutouts.
Headlined by Rabo and Watkins, the Bulldogs placed five on the All-GAC First Team in midfielder Sola Tsuruta, defender Desiree Rodriguez and goalkeeper Ashley Hughes. Hughes led the GAC with a 1.03 goals-against average, an .832 saves percentage and seven shutouts.
Oklahoma Baptist also landed three - forward Katie Fowler, midfielder Kaylee Swaner, defender Maddison Williams - on the First Team. Fowler ranked second in the league with nine goals and 22 points. Her four assists tied for third. Swaner added seven points, including two game-winning goals. Williams and the Bison defense ranked second in goals-against average.
A pair of East Central sophomores - Tanja Bauböck and Abbie Morris - filled out the All-GAC First Team. Bauböck, the league’s Offensive Player of the Year in the Spring 2021 season moved to the back line this season. She also scored three goals. Morris netted a team-leading five goals.
Northwestern Oklahoma State and Ouachita led the conference with four All-GAC Second-Team honorees. Forward Tiara Campbell, midfielder Kailani Kealoha and defenders Kaitlyn Morphy and Taylor Songster represented the Rangers. The Tigers placed defender Abbey Inman, midfielder Sydni Perry, goalkeeper Michele Snow and forward Gracen Turner on the team. SWOSU forward Micaela Swain and midfielder Claire Torry landed on the Second Team as did Harding’s forward Briley-Anne Brown and midfielder Caitlann Potter.
The All-GAC Honorable Mention Team consisted of Southern Nazarene’s Avery Pyle, Karla Ramirez, Josie Van Pelt and Fallon Weatherford; East Central’s Kaylee Bruce, Jocelyn Caracheo and McKenna Leveling; Harding’s Melissa Ventura, Kim Barcenas and McKenna Moore; Ouachita’s Paige Owens, Sophia Valencia and Hayley Wolfe; Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Brianna Benitez, Laura Jorgensen and Lilly Zeppenfeld plus Northwestern Oklahoma State’s Aaliyah Acevedo and Abby Nunez.
Bueno owns a 3.89 grade-point average in nursing. A total of 11 student-athletes earned the Distinguished Scholar Athlete award in Northwestern Oklahoma State Sydne Edmiston, Callie Haneborg, Maggie Koster, Faith Nino; Ouachita’s Jaymee Dotson, Sydni Perry, Fernanda Valencia; Oklahoma Baptist’s Katie Fowler and Maddison Williams; Southwestern Oklahoma State’s Kirstyn Dill and Brenna McGuirk.