KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – Truman State junior midfielder Jacob Panagos was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Year and earned First Team All-GLVC honors, the league office announced Wednesday.
Men's soccer junior Brady Blum and women's soccer junior Kylee Bearden were also recognized as Truman's James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honorees.
Panagos Earns Historic Offensive Honor
Panagos becomes the first Truman men's soccer player to earn the GLVC Offensive Player of the Year award and the program's first major conference award recipient since former head coach Duke Cochran was named Co-Coach of the Year in 2022.
The junior started all 16 regular-season matches and played 1,312 minutes for the Bulldogs. He led the GLVC overall with 14 goals and 29 points while ranking third with 49 shots and 26 shots on goal.
Panagos was also among the conference's leading offensive players during GLVC competition. He ranked second with 11 goals, third with 23 points and 44 shots and fourth with 23 shots on goal in conference matches.
His regular season included a hat trick in Truman's 3-3 draw with Lincoln on Sept. 20 and two goals in the Bulldogs' 2-0 road victory over Upper Iowa on Oct. 7.
Panagos converted Truman's opening attempt in Sunday's penalty-kick shootout against second-seeded Maryville. The Bulldogs advanced 4-3 in the shootout following a 1-1 draw, earning the program's first trip to the GLVC Tournament semifinals.
The First Team selection is the second All-GLVC honor of Panagos' career. He joined Indianapolis midfielder Joey Longo, Indianapolis defender Ryan Walsh, Lincoln midfielder Jerome Lawel, Lincoln goalkeeper Felipe Mattos, Lincoln forward Jonathan Nemorden, Lincoln defender Keynath Walters, Maryville defender Julian Stoecker, McKendree forward Fredrik Thulin, Missouri S&T forward Mike Banasik and Quincy forward Leo Cann on the 11-player First Team.
Blum and Bearden Receive Sportsmanship Recognition
Blum and Bearden were selected as Truman's James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honorees for men's and women's soccer, respectively.
The award recognizes student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. Honorees must also be in good academic standing and demonstrate good citizenship outside athletic competition.
Blum, a junior defender, helped the Truman men earn the seventh seed in the GLVC Tournament and advance to the conference semifinals for the first time.
Bearden, a junior midfielder, represented a Truman women's soccer team that finished 6-6-5 overall and 5-5-4 in GLVC play. The Bulldogs finished 10th in the conference standings with 19 points.
Blum and Bearden are now eligible to become one of Truman's two overall James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award recipients, which will be announced by the conference at the end of the academic year.
The Truman men will face Missouri-St. Louis in the GLVC Tournament semifinals at 7 p.m. Friday at the Lake Country Soccer Complex in Springfield, Missouri. The winner will advance to Sunday's conference championship match.
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