KANSAS CITY – Six American Athletic Conference men’s soccer players from three different teams earned All-American honors, as announced by the United Soccer Coaches on Friday, including SMU defender Mads Westergren and Charlotte midfielder Jono Nyandjo earning first team recognition.
The American was tied with the ACC for the most All-America selections among conferences.
The SMU Mustangs had four players named to the United Soccer Coaches All-American squad with Mads Westergren (D, First Team), Cole Johnson (GK, Second Team), Bailey Sparks (M, Second Team) and Jelldrik Dallmann (F, Second Team).
Westergren, The American Defensive Player of the Year Award, anchored the Mustang backline to become the top ranked defense in the conference.
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Johnson earned The American Goalkeeper of the Year after recording 46 saves and eight shutouts in his senior season. Johnson also earned The American Goalkeeper of the Week four times, three of which were earned consecutively.
Sparks third in The American in assists with five, all of which were scored in different games throughout the season. He also added a goal in the NCAA Tournament in the Mustangs win over Denver.
Dallmann led The American and was ranked seventh nationally in goals scored with 14, in addition to logging five assists. Dallmann was a unanimous First Team all-conference selection and a preseason All-American.
Nyandjo tallied 12 points on four goals and four assists for the 49ers, helping Charlotte win their first American Athletic Conference tournament championship. Nyandjo was a first team all-conference selection this season.
Memphis’ Lineker Rodrigues dos Santos earned All-American Third Team honors. The 2023 American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year recorded 14 goals on the season, including eight game-winning goals. He also dished out seven assists.
This year’s All-Americans will be recognized for their accomplishments at the United Soccer Coaches All-America Ceremony & Reception on Saturday, January, 13, 2024 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention.
