MISSOURI – The Missouri Valley Conference announced that sophomore midfielder Noah James was named the MVC Men's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year. James headlined a group of 22 student-athletes who were named to the 2024 MVC men's soccer scholar-athlete first and second teams, announced by the league office Tuesday. Sophomore defender Braxton Arpachinda and graduate student forward Greyson Mercer received second team nods. All of WMU's members on the MVC's academic teams earned a GPA greater than a 3.6 this season.
Noah James, Western Michigan, So., MF, 4.00, Pre-Mechanical Engineering
This year, James scored a personal best seven goals and added a career high four assists during the 2024 season. James notched two games with multiple goals this season, including a two goal outing in The Brown and Gold's WMU's 5-1 win over Villanova. To conclude the 2024 campaign, James would accumulate five points over the Brown and Gold's final four games: James scored in WMU's 2-1 regular season finale victory over University of Illinois Chicago. Later on Sunday, November 10 during the MVC Tournament Quarterfinal, James scored the Broncos lone goal against the University of Evansville. The forward's last offensive contribution occurred in WMU's NCAA Tournament First Round 5-1 victory over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. On Thursday, November 21 at WMU Soccer Complex, James assisted Mercer for WMU's fourth goal of the contest.
Braxton Arpachinda, Western Michigan, So., D, 3.85, Architecture & Design
During the 2024 season, the defender from Sterling Heights, Michigan, scored a career-high three goals and added a personal best two assists. After recording an assist in WMU's season opening win over #14 University of Vermont on Thursday, August 22, Arpachinda tallied an assist in WMU's 5-1 victory over Villanova on Monday, September 2. Less than a week later, the defender scored his first career goal in WMU's 5-1 win over Air Force on Sunday, September 8. Arpachinda would later score in WMU's 1-1 tie versus Dayton on September 18. To conclude his offensive scoring on the season, Arpachinda scored a goal during the Brown and Gold's 2-1 road victory over Northern Illinois University on October 12.
Greyson Mercer, Western Michigan, Gr., 3.63, Graduate Non-Degree
Mercer saw a career year in 2024 securing personal bests with a team high eight goals (one game winner) and five assists to lead the Brown and Gold in the final third.
The forward from Heber City, Utah, opened the season in electric fashion, scoring two goals win WMU's season opening win over #14 University of Vermont and later provided two goals and two assists in WMU's 5-1 win over Villanova on Monday, September 2. Mercer would later add an assist in the Broncos 5-1 win over Air Force on Sunday, September 8. 10 days later, Mercer assisted teammate Arpachinda in The Brown and Gold's 1-1 tie versus Dayton. Over the final half of the season, Mercer scored one goal in WMU's 7-0 win over The University of Olivet and later provided a goal in WMU's 4-1 road victory over Detroit Mercy University. The forward would conclude the season with a two goal outing in WMU's NCAA Tournament First Round 5-1 victory over Southern Illinois University Edwardsville on November 21. He would later add an assist in WMU's NCAA Tournament Second Round contest at #1 Ohio State University on November 24.
The Valley's scholar-athlete teams are voted on by the league's soccer sports information directors.
The criteria for the All-MVC honor parallels the CSC (College Sports Communicators) standards for Academic All-America voting. Nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.50 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale). Also, students must have participated in at least 75 percent of the season matches. Student-athletes must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their institution and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution.
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