D2CCA All-American Teams

Pomona, Calif.----Wingate University's Paul Ngongo is the first freshman in program history to earn first team All-American honors, earning the accolades from the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Wednesday afternoon. In addition, senior midfielder Elliot Cutts is a D2CCA second team All-American for the first time in his career.

Ngongo and Cutts are the only two SAC players to appear on the D2CCA All-American teams. The duo helped lead the Bulldogs to another strong season, going 16-3-3 overall and 6-2-2 in the SAC. Wingate won the SAC Tournament title, blanking all three opponents to earn its third tourney championship in five years. The Bulldogs earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the NCAA National quarterfinals after knocking off #9 Young Harris and #7 Palm Beach Atlantic by a combined score of 8-3. Bulldogs outscored their opponents 62-19 on the season. Ngongo and Cutts combined for 35 goals and nine assists, helping the 'Dogs rank fourth nationally in total goals, fifth in scoring offense, sixth in points per game and total points, seventh in total assists and 10th in assists per game.

Ngongo is only the second freshman in Wingate men's soccer history to earn a spot on an All-American team, joining Pablo Jara, who was an NSCAA third team All-American in 2015. Ngongo is the first Bulldog to earn first team All-American accolades since 2016, when National Player of the Year Alex Nelson was an NSCAA and D2CCA first team All-American. Prior to Nelson, Luke Mulholland was the most recent first team honoree in the 2009 season. Ngongo is the only freshman to earn first or second team All-American accolades from the D2CCA this season, with one other freshman earning third team All-American recognition.

Ngongo has been piling up the awards in his first season at Wingate, becoming the first player in league history to be named the SAC Player and Freshman of the Year in the same season. Ngongo was also named the D2CCA Southeast Region Player of the Year, earning first team All-Region honors from the D2CCA along with the United Soccer Coaches. Ngongo was named the AstroTurf SAC Player of the Week three times during the 2019 season.

Ngongo piled up 21 goals and four assists in his freshman season, leading the nation with eight game-winning goals. He ranked second nationally with 1.11 goals and 2.42 points per contest, while also ranking second nationally in total goals and third in total points. The freshman was at his best down the stretch, scoring at least one goal in 10 straight games that went through the NCAA regional semifinals. During the stretch, the 'Dogs went 9-0-1 while Ngongo piled up 16 goals and two assists. He finished the season with seven multi-goal games, while notching at least one point in 15 of his 19 contests.

Cutts earns All-American honors for the first time in his illustrious career. The senior has earned first team All-SAC and All-Region honors in each of his three seasons at Wingate, helping the Bulldogs win a pair of SAC Tournament titles and a regular season championship during his career. Cutts poured in a career-high 14 goals in 2019, while ranking second on the team with five assists. He finished the season ranking second in the SAC in goals and third in points, while ranking 17th nationally in goals and 21st in points. Cutts wrapped up his Wingate career with 32 goals and 10 assists in three seasons.

Cutts scored both goals in the 2-1 win over Anderson, while also finding the back of the net in the victory against defending national champion Barry. He had a goal and an assist in wins over Mount Olive and Queens, while scoring twice including the game-winner against Catawba. Cutts piled up two goals and an assist in the SAC Tournament victory against LMU, while once again netting the game-winner. He had a goal and an assist in the NCAA Tournament victory over #7 Palm Beach Atlantic, including the game-winner.

ABOUT D2CCA

The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities. The D2CCA All-Region teams are voted on by the region's Sports Information Directors

WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
A comprehensive, independent and growing university, Wingate serves more than 3,600 students in North Carolina. Founded in 1896, the University offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as graduate and professional programs. Wingate is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences. Wingate blends in-class exploration with out-of-class application to deliver an uncommon and life-changing educational experience.
 
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 13 years. Wingate is first in the 2000s among NCAA Division II and North Carolina's colleges and universities with 115 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 124 lifetime Academic All-America® honorees. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com. Current news and videos can be found at www.wingate.edu.