2019 SWAC Preseason Soccer Honors Announced
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Begona Rodriguez-Bravo of Texas Southern, Alayah Hightower of Howard, and Chioma Eriken of Southern have been named the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s individual award winners as the league announced its 2019 preseason soccer honors on Friday. The honors were voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Rodriguez-Bravo was named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. Bravo finished the 2018 season ranking ninth in the league in shots with 41, seventh in goals with six, and seventh in the league in game-winning goals with three. She concluded the season first on the team in points with 14 in 1275 minutes played.
Hightower was voted the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. She helped lead the Bison to its third SWAC title in four years. Hightower anchored a Howard’s defense that led the league in goals allowed with an average of 1.05 per contest. She started in 18 games, while collecting 1636 minutes during the season.
Eriken was named the Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year. She led the nation in saves with 165 and finished seventh in the rankings in the league in goals against average with 1.736. Chioma ranked seventh in the league in shutouts per game, averaging a .188 and first in the league in saves per game with a 10.31 average.
Howard was predicted to finish first in the conference, while for the second consecutive season, the Grambling State Lady Tigers were predicted to finish second. Alabama State was predicted to finish third with Prairie View A&M, Texas Southern, Southern, Alabama A&M, Jackson State, Arkansas Pine-Bluff, Mississippi Valley State, and Alcorn State rounding out the standings.
Preseason First-Team All-SWAC Soccer
Forward: Jojo Bernal, Prairie View A&M
Forward: Teaggan Illea, Alabama State
Forward: Aleeya Sawyer, Howard
Midfielder: Begona Rodriguez-Bravo, Texas Southern
Midfielder: Kailey Pena, Grambling State
Midfielder: Jalah Carter, Jackson State
Midfielder: Thalia Boucher, Howard
Defender: Florence David, Grambling State
Defender: Kendall Macauly, Howard
Defender: Jordyn King, Grambling State
Goalkeeper: Chioma Eriken, Southern
Preseason Second-Team All-SWAC Soccer
Forward: Mia Marshall, Texas Southern
Forward: Ayanna Gooden, Alabama A&M
Forward: Lauryen McKinney, Southern
Midfielder: Meaghan Fielding, Alabama State
Midfielder: McKenna Lupori, Alabama State
Midfielder: Victoria Thornton, Howard
Midfielder: Alexis Mack, Prairie View A&M
Defender: Ashley Thomas, Alabama State
Defender: Alanna Manning, Alabama State
Defender: Brooke Ianiero, Texas Southern
Goalkeeper: Alayah Hightower, Howard
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Begona Rodriguez-Bravo, Texas Southern
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Alayah Hightower, Howard
Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year
Chioma Eriken, Southern
Predicted Order of Finish (Points)
1. Howard (172)
2. Grambling State (141)
3. Alabama State (138)
4. Prairie View A&M (133)
5. Texas Southern (97)
6. Southern (82)
7. Alabama A&M (73)
8. Jackson State (65)
9. Arkansas-Pine Bluff (59)
10. Mississippi Valley State (55)
11. Alcorn State (52)