Men's Soccer | 11/30/2017 2:01:00 PM

Kansas City, Mo.----Wingate University junior goalkeeper Pablo Jara (Santiago, Chile) has been named a third team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches, officials announced Wednesday night. In addition, Jara is a first team All-Region honoree, joining seniors Filipe Checco (Brotas, Brazil), Damian Gaona (Santiago, Chile) and Jon Ander (Bilbao, Spain).

Jara continues to pile up the awards, becoming the first player in program history to earn All-American honors three times in his career. The 2015 SAC Freshman of the Year was also named the SAC Tournament MVP in his first year at Wingate. Jara earned NSCAA third team All-American honors in 2015, while earning second team recognition in 2016. The three-time first team All-SAC and All-Region honoree has led the SAC in goals-against average every year of his career.

"Pablo is without a doubt the top goalkeeper in the country," head coach Gary Hamill says. "Being an All-American for the past three years solidifies that."

The national leader in goals-against average in 2016, Jara led the SAC with a 0.82 goals-against average in 2017, leading the Bulldogs to a fourth straight regular season conference title and second tournament championship in three years. He also led the conference in wins and minutes played, while collecting seven shutouts. Jara has registered 29 shutouts during his illustrious career, good for second in SAC history. His 0.40 goals-against average in 2016 is the best in SAC history.

Checco earns All-Region honors for the second time this year, after picking up first team accolades from D2CCA. The first team All-SAC selection had five goals and a league-best seven assists, ranking ninth in the league in points. He had a goal and two assists in his Wingate debut against Saint Leo, while collecting two assists against Bob Jones. Checco had a goal and an assist in the Queens win, while also notching a goal and an assist in the season finale victory at Tusculum, netting the game-winner in the 87th minute.

Gaona has earned first team All-Region honors from the United Soccer Coaches and D2CCA each of the last two years. The three-time All-SAC selection was a third team All-American in 2016, while also earning Academic All-America honors. Gaona anchored the league's best defense, helping Wingate post a SAC-best 0.85 goals-against average. The Bulldogs registered six shutouts, while allowing a league-low six goals in conference contests. Gaona also collected an assist in the 3-0 SAC Tournament quarterfinal victory over Newberry. Gaona and the Bulldog defense led the nation in goals-against average in the 2016 national championship season.

Ander also earned first team All-Region honors from D2CCA in 2017, to go along with multiple awards over the past two seasons. The 2015 SAC Player of the Year and second team All-American was the Most Outstanding Offensive Player at the 2016 NCAA Final Four and the SAC Tournament MVP in 2017. He finished his senior season with 10 goals and four assists, ranking second on the team in goals and points. Ander finished seventh in the SAC in points and eighth in goals. He scored both goals in the Mars Hill win, while collecting a goal and two assists in the Clayton State victory. Ander notched a goal and an assist in the win at #21 Carson-Newman, while also collecting a goal and an assist in the SAC Tournament quarterfinal win over Newberry. He scored twice in the semifinal victory over LMU, including the game-winner, while also scoring both goals in the SAC title match, including the winner in the second overtime. Ander also found the back of the net in the NCAA Tournament match against Lander.

United Soccer Coaches 2017 All-Southeast Region

First Team
GK - Pablo Jara, Wingate
D - Macauley King, Young Harris
D - Jordan Skelton, Lander
D - Damian Gaona, Wingate
M - Marco Micaletto, Young Harris
M - Filipe Checco, Wingate
M - Thibault Chretien, Lander
F - Ignacio De Goya, Lenoir-Rhyne
F - Ruairi Croskery, Limestone
F - Danilo da Silva, Lincoln Memorial
F - Jon Ander, Wingate

Second Team
GK - Thomas Osborne, Limestone
D - Dominic Boland, Limestone
D - Jamie Smith, Limestone
D - Florian Simon, Lenoir-Rhyne
M - Noah Sale, Limestone
M - Tom Deeley, Lees-McRae
M - Josh Baker, Chowan              
M - Kwaku Dwamena, Clayton State
F - Sam Lofts, Lander
F - Edmundo Robinson, Queens
F - Sebastian Loibl,  Mount Olive         
     
United Soccer Coaches 2017 All-Americans

First Team
GK - Lucas Rezende, Merrimack
D - Johan Maurtizson, LIU Post 
D - Ty Mobley, St. Edward's
D - Thomas Vancaeyezeele, Charleston
M - Pierre Bocquet, Midwestern State
M - Charlie Dennis, Palm Beach Atlantic
M - Moshe Perez, Colorado Mesa
M - Toni Soler, Adelphi
F - Aidan Apodaca, California Baptist
F - Kaleb Jackson, Rockhurst
F - Charlie Ledula, LIU Post

Second Team
GK - Carlos Rubio, Ohio Valley
D - Macauley King, Young Harris
D - Abraham Placito, California Baptist
D - Jordan Skelton, Lander
M - Esteban Berumen, Notre Dame De Namur
M - Adam Michel, Rockhurst
M - Harry Pearse, LIU Post
F - Scott Doney, Midwestern State
F - Louis Greenway-Tambini, Southern Connecticut State
F - Sergi Monso, Cal Poly Pomona
F - Gabriel Torres, University of the District of Columbia

Third Team
GK - Pablo Jara, Wingate
D - Slater Elkind, Colorado Mesa
D - Seiji Rose, Jefferson
D - Josue Ruiz Maya, Merrimack
D - Juan Sanchez, Palm Beach Atlantic
M - Joe Garcia, Northeastern State
M - Nikolaus Grotz, Colorado School Of Mines
M - Patrick Guier, Charleston     
M - Alun Webb, Lynn
F - Ali Brador, West Alabama
F - Felipe Desousa, Tampa
F - John Haist, Colorado School Of Mines

United Soccer Coaches

Founded in 1941 and based in Kansas City, Mo., United Soccer Coaches has grown into the world's largest soccer coaches' organization that serves members at every level of the game. United Soccer Coaches works every day to inspire coaches and ignite their passion for the game so they pass it on to players and others in the soccer community. 

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,600 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 35 minors, 12 career concentrations, nine pre-professional programs, master's degrees in accounting, business, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in education, pharmacy and physical therapy.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 11 years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
 
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 96 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 96 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 105 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.