Charles Named NSCAA/adidas First Team All-West Region

BILLINGS, Mont. – Continuing to rack up the postseason honors, Montana State Billings senior men’s soccer standout, Sam Charles, added NSCAA First Team All-West Region honors to his list of accolades. 

For the second year in a row, Charles earns NSCAA First Team All-Region honors.  Charles is the lone Great Northwest Athletic Conference selection on the first team, while Western Washington’s Kellan Brown was named second team along with Seattle Pacific’s Elliot Morton and Tyler Schultz.  SPU also had a third team selection in Alec Nelson.

A native of Chiswell, England, Charles finished one of the most storied careers in MSUB history as he broke the school and conference record with 24 goals in 2009.  He was named Ron Lenz Daktronics Division II National Player of the Year, becoming the first MSUB student-athlete to be named National Player of the Year in any sport. He was named Daktronics West Region Player of the Year in 2009 and finished his career with 69 goals, 18 assists and 156 points.
 
Charles finished the 2009 season as a first team all-conference selection with a school and conference record 24 goals, seven assists and 55 points.  He was named GNAC Player of the Year for the second time (2007) and was a three-time first team all-conference selection.  Charles led the nation with 24 goals scored and finished second nationally in goals per game (1.33) and second nationally in points per game (3.06).  Charles helped lead the Yellowjackets to their school record third consecutive double-digit wins in a season and second-most wins in school history with an 11-5-2 record.

Charles virtually rewrote both the GNAC and school record books.  He set conference and school marks this season for consecutive games with a goal (9) and consecutive games with a point (15).  He set the conference record for points and goals in a career early this season.  The amazing part is that Charles broke the records in just over two years in the league.  MSUB was in the Heartland Conference Charles’ freshman year.  During his time in the GNAC, Charles tallied 62 goals, 16 assists and 140 points.

Not only has Charles excelled on the field, but in the classroom, too. He is scheduled to graduate in December and carries a 3.60 grade point average in health and human performance.  He has earned back-to-back MSUB Male Student-Athlete of the Year honors and was named GNAC Male Student-Athlete of the Year in 2008-2009. 

In three years in the GNAC, Charles earned academic all-conference honors each year and helped MSUB men’s soccer to the best team grade point average in 2007 and 2008 in the conference.  In addition, Charles helped lead the Yellowjackets to the third-best team grade point average in the country in 2007-08.