BOCA RATON, Fla. – Florida Atlantic University goalkeeper Hagay Jalon was tabbed to the 2019 Academic All-America® Division I men’s soccer team, as announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Jalon, a Third Team selection, becomes men’s soccer’s first academic All-American and third in FAU Athletics history.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling to have my efforts on and off the field recognized on a national level and to leave another mark on the program in my last season,” said Jalon. “I’m grateful to the entire department from my coaches to my academic advisor [Eric Zeaman] for giving me the support to earn this award.”
In November, Jalon was named to the All-District First Team, which distinguishes the nation’s top student-athletes based on their performances on the field and in the classroom. As an honoree, Jalon was placed on the All-America ballot and was one of three goalkeepers and one of 34 men’s soccer student-athletes in the nation chosen.
Jalon graduated with a Bachelor of Psychology in May, while holding a 3.80 GPA. A captain of the team, Jalon has held one of the top GPAs during his three years on the team. He is a two-time CoSIDA First Team All-District honoree and has collected an array of academic awards from Conference USA, including All-Academic Team, Commissioner’s Academic medal and Honor Roll. Jalon is currently enrolled in the Master of Psychology program with the desire of becoming a sports psychologist.
The Haifa, Israel native recorded a 1.64 Goals Against Average along with 39 saves. Jalon has been tabbed as the C-USA Defensive Player of the Week twice this past season after shutouts against No. 15 Marshall and No. 17 James Madison. He also sits at fifth in school history in career blank sheets.
Jalon joins Chris Saxton of baseball and Blair Bodenmiller of softball as Academic All-Americans in FAU Athletics history. Saxton was a pitcher on the baseball team from 2003-04 and was awarded Third Team in 2004. Bodenmiller played shortstop for the Owls from 2006-10 and was recognized to the Second Team in 2010.
An announcement about men’s soccer spring games is coming just around the corner. For complete coverage of FAU men’s soccer during the offseason, follow us on Twitter (@FAUMensSoccer), Instagram (@FAUMensSoccer_) and Facebook (FAU Men’s Soccer).
– FAUSports.com –
Florida Atlantic University Athletics:
FAU Athletics is comprised of 21 intercollegiate teams involving 450 student-athletes that compete in baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, indoor and outdoor track, volleyball, beach volleyball, cheer and dance. The Owls are a NCAA Division I-A (FBS) institution and compete in Conference USA and the Coastal Collegiate Sports Association (CCSA) (beach volleyball, men’s swimming). The Owls have been playing football since 2001 and are a perfect 3-0 in bowl games, the most recent being a 50-3 victory over Akron in the 2017 Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl. The dance team finished its 2014 season No. 8, nationally. FAU cheer won a national championship in 2016.
About Florida Atlantic University:
Florida Atlantic University, established in 1961, officially opened its doors in 1964 as the fifth public university in Florida. Today, the University, with an annual economic impact of $6.3 billion, serves more than 30,000 undergraduate and graduate students at sites throughout its six county service region in southeast Florida. FAU’s world-class teaching and research faculty serves students through 10 colleges: the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, the College of Business, the College for Design and Social Inquiry, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, the Graduate College, the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing and the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science. FAU is ranked as a High Research Activity institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The University is placing special focus on the rapid development of critical areas that form the basis of its strategic plan: Healthy aging, biotech, coastal and marine issues, neuroscience, regenerative medicine, informatics, lifespan and the environment. These areas provide opportunities for faculty and students to build upon FAU’s existing strengths in research and scholarship. For more information, visit www.fau.edu.
