NEW ORLEANS – App State Soccer graduate student
Izzi Wood and freshman
Ellie Garrison have earned All-Sun Belt Conference postseason honors, the league announced Sunday.
Wood was named a first-team All-Sun Belt forward, while Garrison garnered second-team recognition as a midfielder. It marks the first time that App State Soccer has had a player earn first-team honors since 2018 and the first time since 2015 that the program has had multiple players earn postseason all-conference recognition.
"I'm thrilled for Izzi and Ellie, a truly dynamic duo," head coach
Aimee Haywood said. "They have both had such an impact on the team's performance this season offensively and defensively. I love to see players who work so hard get the recognition they deserve."
Wood continued to etch her name into the App State record book this year, tying the program's single-season goals record with 11 tallies. In four seasons on the field for the Mountaineers, Wood ranks third on the App State all-time scoring list with 26 goals in her career. She also ranks third all-time in career shots with 221 and fifth in points with 58. Wood also ranks third in single-season program history for shots and tied for third in points.
At the conclusion of the 2024 regular season, Wood leads the Sun Belt in shots (78) and shots on goal (40) and is tied for second in the Sun Belt in goals scored (11). She is also third in points (23) and tied for second in game-winning goals (three). Wood ranks 15th nationally in shots on goal per game and 27th in the country in goals scored. She is the only player in the Sun Belt Conference to enjoy three multi-goal games this season, registering braces against Radford, Coastal Carolina and Arkansas State.
A native of Hickory, N.C., Wood has earned all-conference honors for the second consecutive season after receiving a second-team nod in 2023. She joins Jane Cline (2013-2016) as the only Mountaineers in the Sun Belt era to earn postseason honors in multiple seasons.
Following a storied career at Wheatmore High School that saw Garrison set the single-season goals record (96) and career goals record (230) in the state of North Carolina, she quickly acclimated to the college game. Garrison scored four goals and tallied five assists during the regular season, totaling 13 points, the most by an App State freshman in the Sun Belt era (2014-present). Garrison finished the regular season tied for seventh in the Sun Belt in assists.
Garrison tallied a two-goal game against Longwood on Aug. 29 for her first career goals and was subsequently named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week. She also added a multi-assist game against Radford on Sept. 5. A native of Trinity, N.C., Garrison finished regular season play ranked second on the team in goals, assists, points, shots, shots on goal and game-winning goals. She has started all 18 games in her first season in a Black & Gold uniform. Garrison became the first player in program history to earn All-Sun Belt honors as a freshman.
App State will open Sun Belt tournament play on Monday at noon ET against third-seeded Texas State in the quarterfinals. The sixth-seeded Mountaineers will look to advance to the tournament's semifinal round for the first time since 2016. All tournament games will be played at the Foley Sports Tourism Complex in Foley, Ala., and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
2024 Sun Belt Conference Women's Soccer Awards
Player of the Year: Ginny Lackey, James Madison (Fr., F, Manchester, England)
Offensive Player of the Year: Irene Campo, South Alabama (So., M, Santander, Spain)
Defensive Player of the Year: Ashlynn, Kulha, Old Dominion (So., D, Holly Springs, N.C.)
Goalkeeper of the Year: Emily Bredek, Old Dominion (Sr., GK, Huntington Beach, Calif.
Newcomer of the Year: Kaylie Smith, Texas State (So., M, Corpus Christi, Texas)
Freshman of the Year: Ginny Lackey, James Madison (Fr., F, Manchester, England)
Coach of the Year: Joshua Walters, Sr., James Madison (7th Season)
All-Sun Belt Conference First Team
F – Aaliyah Faddoul, Georgia State (So., Ontario, Canada)
F – Ginny Lackey, James Madison (Fr., Manchester, England)
F – Mady Soumare, Texas State (Jr., Paris, France)
F – Izzi Wood, App State (Gr., Hickory, N.C.)
M – Irene Campo, South Alabama (So., Santander, Spain)
M – Mara Grutkamp, ULM (Sr., Mülheim an der Ruhr, Germany)
M – Lexi Vanderlinden, James Madison (R-Sr., Seminole, Fla.)
D – Ashlynn Kulha, Old Dominion (So., Holly Springs, N.C.)
D – Kate Nicolson, South Alabama (Sr., Stirling, Scotland)
D – Jordan Yang, James Madison (Jr., Clifton, Va.)
GK – Emily Bredek, Old Dominion (Sr., Huntington Beach, Calif.)
All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team
F – Eleanor Ashton, Coastal Carolina (Fr., Manchester, England)
F – Amanda Attanasi, James Madison (Sr., Washington Township, N.J.)
F – Rhea Kijowski, Old Dominion (Sr., Waynesburg, Pa.)
M – Andrea Balcazar Algarin, Old Dominion (Jr., Mexico City, Mexico)
M – Smith Cathey, Georgia Southern (Sr., Madison, Ga.)
M – Ellie Garrison, App State (Fr., Trinity, N.C.)
M – Adaira Nakano, Southern Miss (Sr., Ontario, Canada)
D – Kennley Bradley, Texas State (Sr., Ogden, Utah)
D – Claire Casey, Georgia Southern (Fr., Williamston, Mich.)
D – Jamie Swartz, James Madison (Jr., Palmyra, Pa.)
GK – Katelyn Chrisman, Texas State (Sr., Belton, Texas)
