NAIA Honorable Mention All-American: Aaron Whitten
By Mike DeVader, Reinhardt Director of Athletic Communications & Media
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Senior forward Aaron Whitten once again earned NAIA Honorable Mention All-American status on Thursday after the reveal of the 2020 NAIA Men's Soccer All-America teams from the NAIA national office in Kansas City, Mo.
The NAIA All-America committee consists of the NAIA-Men's Soccer Coaches Association Executive Committee, the National Championship Games Committee and four men's soccer coaches.
Each team – first, second and third – consists of 11 members and the honorable mention teams.
To view the entire release from the NAIA, please click here.
Whitten, the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) Player of the Year, helped the Eagles (13-3) to a regular-season share and a postseason AAC title after Reinhardt took down Milligan (Tenn.), 2-1, after preventing the Buffaloes from tying the score on multiple occasions in the final moments on April 6.
The victory earned the hometown club a spot in the 62nd Annual NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship, where it took on the Rams of Mobile (Ala.) in the NAIA Opening Round.
It was also the first time the program had won both the regular-season and postseason titles in the same campaign.
The Locust Grove, Ga., native – who started all 16 matches in 2020 – was a key cog in the Reinhardt offensive attack with 11 goals and three assists for 25 total points on the year.
He also had a hand in the Eagles finishing in the top 25 in numerous NAIA categories including, No. 12 in total assists (2.380), No. 19 in goals (45), No. 22 in shots on-goal per match (8.690) and No. 25 in goals per outing (2.810).
Individually, Whitten ranked 14th in the nation in match-wining goals with four; tied with teammate Rafael Pais.
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For more information on Reinhardt Men's Soccer, please click here.