BIRMINGHAM – Texas A&M forward Ireland Churchill was named the SEC Freshman of the Year, the league announced Thursday.
The honor was one of three awards Churchill received from the league. She also claimed recognition on the All-SEC First Team and the SEC All-Freshman Team.
She joined Barbara Olivieri (2020) as the only Aggies to claim SEC Freshman of the Year recognition.
The Eastvale, California, native leads the nation in goals among freshmen with 13 and ranks second with 30 points. Her 13 goals placed her fifth on Texas A&M’s freshman single-season goals list. She became the first Aggie freshman to reach double-digit goals since Liz Keester in 2013.
Eight of Churchill’s 13 goals came in SEC play, highlighted by four braces. Coming down the home stretch, she became the first Aggie freshman to score multiple goals in three consecutive games.
Texas A&M had four players earn Big 12 Freshman of the Year accolades, including Melanie Wilson (1996), Claire Elliott (1997), Ashlee Pistorius (2004) and Kelly Monogue (2011).
