KANSAS CITY, Mo. – University of South Alabama soccer assistant coach Keyton Wheelock has been named the South Region Senior College Women's Assistant Coach of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

Wheelock, the team's goalkeeper coach, is the first USA assistant coach to earn the award.

In her third year at South Alabama, Wheelock coached her unit to a 0.92 goals against average and 0.43 shutouts per game, both second-best in the Sun Belt Conference. The team's 10 total clean sheets tied for the top spot in the league.

The team blanked three straight conference opponents for the first time ever – by a combined 7-0 score – and posted back-to-back shutouts in the Sun Belt Tournament final and first round of the NCAA Tournament.

"I am so happy for Keyton to receive this prestigious award," USA head coach Graham Winkworth said. "Sometimes the work an assistant coach does is not valued enough in public. Here at South Alabama we have created a second family within our soccer program. The work that both Keyton and Jo (Chubb) do is vitally important to our success."

Junior Sarah Hay (Waxahachie, Texas) tied her school record – shared with two others – with a 0.92 GAA and recorded eight shutouts, tied for third in a single season at USA.

Hay's career goals against average of 0.90 is the best in school history and her 19 career clean sheets are third. She has been named to two straight Sun Belt All-Tournament teams and the 2015 NSCAA All-South Region team.

South Alabama finished with an 18-3-2 overall record and a 9-0 mark in the conference, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The Jaguars were voted No. 25 in the final NSCAA Coaches Poll.

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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