Fall 2024 All-America Teams
Article includes contributions from Anne Arundel and Harford Athletics.
Charlotte, NC – With the announcement of the 2024 Men's and Women's All-America teams, NJCAA Region 20 celebrates six student-athletes from five-member institutions who were honored as First, Second, or Third Team All-America in their respective sport and division.
Division I Men's Soccer:
Rex Pearce, Harford, Third Team
Pearce earned third team All-America honors after an impressive sophomore season. His 86 shots led NJCAA Division I and he ranked Top 10 in goals with 15 (sixth most) and 37 points (eighth best). He led Region 20 Division I in all three of the same categories.
A first team All-Region 20 Division I honoree, Pearce finishes his playing career at Harford with 22 goals, 11 assists and 55 points.
Division II Men's Soccer:
Zico Tesheira, Prince George's, First Team
Tesheira tallied 37 points off 17 goals and three assists in 13 games played for the Owls in his freshman campaign, leading Prince George's in goals and points. His 17 goals placed him in the top 15 in the nation for Division II. Of his 17 goals, five of them were game-winners. Tesheira also had five multi-goal games and one multi-assist game.
Bartu Yakkan, CCBC Essex, Second Team
Yakkan, a sophomore midfielder for the Knights, finished the season in the national top ten in three statistical categories, propelling CCBC Essex to yet another national tournament appearance. Yakkan scored 22 goals (6th) and added six assists for 50 points (8th). His 72 shots was ninth across all Division II players.
Yakkan had four goals and three assists in the Region 20 tournament which earned him All-Tournament Team honors.
Colton Bagnall-Drought, CCBC Essex, Third Team
The second-year keeper for the Knights started 19 games and appeared in 20. Bagnall-Drought made 71 saves with a nearly 80% save percentage. He was between the pipes for 10 CCBC Essex shutouts and finishes his career with a 1.14 goal allowed average.
Allowing just a single goal across three games played in the Region 20 tournament, Bagnall-Drought earned All-Tournament recognition.
Division II Women's Soccer:
Tina Tinelli, Anne Arundel, Second Team
Tinelli, a two-time NJCAA Region 20 First Team honoree, helped AACC to its first Division II NJCAA national tournament appearance this season, earning all-tournament honors. The Riverhawks allowed opponents just 10.83 shots per game and recorded six shutouts.
Tinelli started all 34 games for the Riverhawks in her two-year career, scoring nine goals and adding six assists. This season, she scored four goals including the game-winner in a key divisional matchup at Garrett and added six assists. Tinelli's free kick goal from 36 yards out in the 2023 Region 20 championship game will forever be a shining moment in Riverhawks history.
Sara Allwine, Southern Maryland, Third Team
Allwine, a freshman for the Hawks, amassed 62 points off 27 goals and eight assists. She finished third in Division II in both goals scored and points playing three less games than the second-place finisher and five less games than the national leader.
Allwine scored twice in an upset victory over CCBC Essex in the Region 20 semi-final advancing Southern Maryland to the tournament final. Allwine added two more goals in the championship match earning her place on the Region 20 All-Tournament Team.
Division II Volleyball:
Laura Piva, Harford, First Team
Piva, who was an NJCAA All-America honorable mention last season, was selected to the first team this year. Her 5.02 kills per set and 12.6 attacks per set rank fourth and sixth in NJCAA Division II, respectively. An All-Region 20 first team recipient as well, Piva led the region in kills per set, attacks per set, kills (417), points (495.5) and points per set (6.0).
Piva had 20+ points in a game 10 times this season and seven games of 20 or more kills. She had double-digit kills in 19-of-21 matches this year.
Piva collected 675 kills in her two years at Harford and leaves with a 13.2 kills per match average and 3.79 kills per set.
Division III Volleyball:
Josie Russo, Butler County, First Team
A freshman middle hitter, Russo led Butler County to a 22-1 regular season record and sixth seed at the Division III National Tournament. Russo's play on the national stage secured a three-game win streak for the Pioneers, a 9th place finish, and landed Russo on the National All-Tournament Team.
The September Region 20 Division III Player of the Month finished in the top 10 nationally for blocks per set (1.33 - 6th), total blocks (105 - 9th), block assists (73 – 10th), and hitting percentage (.444 – 10th).
For the full list of each All-America Team, click the link below:
Division I Men's Soccer All-America Team
Division II Men's Soccer All-America Team
Division II Women's Soccer All-America Team