MARSHALLTOWN - Marshalltown Community College sophomore Javier Lopez (Granada, Spain) has been named a third team NJCAA Division I All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association.
A defender, Lopez collected seven goals, five assists and 19 points in helping lead MCC to a 14-6-2 mark on the season along with a Region XI Tournament title and trip to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament. Earlier this fall, Lopez was named as a first team All-Region XI selection.
"Javier has been a critical part of our program for the last two years, but his commitment to MCC was incredible this year," said head coach Rafael Martinez. "He has been a leader both in games and in practices, setting high expectations for everyone involved. It is very hard for a defender to be named All-American, because they don't normally have the statistics to make a case for them, but competing at the National Tournament allowed everyone to see what Javier is capable of."
MCC finished the season going 1-1 at the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in Albany, Georgia November 12th - 17th. The Tigers lost to eventual National Champions, Tyler Junior College 2-0 in their opening match, but came back to upset 5th seeded Jefferson College 2-1.
"Besides his success on the field, Javier is a very good student and has become a leader on campus, he will be missed next year both on and off the field," concluded Martinez.