George, Thomas Represent Tennessee On All-SEC Squads

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Two Tennessee soccer players have been selected to the 2020 All-Southeastern Conference teams, as the league office announced its postseason awards Thursday morning. Voted on by the league's head coaches, Mackenzie George was named Second Team All-SEC while Jaida Thomas was tabbed to the All-Freshman Team.

"Mackenzie and Jaida are very deserving of this recognition," head coach Brian Pensky said. "These two were very important pieces in our run to an SEC East title, and we're excited to see them honored today."

Mackenzie George • Second Team All-SEC
In her second season on Rocky Top, George picks up her first career All-SEC award with a second-team nod. The junior from Lincoln, California, has started all eight matches for the Vols this season, ranking third on the team with 705 minutes played. She tallied two assists to game-winning goals this fall, including a pass to Thomas in overtime that led to the golden goal that knocked off No. 10 Vanderbilt on September 27. George has made a habit of finding space and creating several dangerous chances for the Vols in the shortened 2020 campaign, ranking second on the team with 20 shots this season.

"Mackenzie has given opposing SEC back lines fits all season with her tenacious athleticism," Pensky said. "Her dangerous play either directly or indirectly set up numerous scoring opportunities for us throughout the fall. It was nice to see the league's head coaches recognize that."

Jaida Thomas • SEC All-Freshman Team
Thomas made an immediate impact for the Big Orange in her redshirt freshman campaign, leading the Vols with three goals that each went down as match-winners in SEC East divisional play. The forward from Irving, Texas, tallied scores against No. 10 Vanderbilt, Missouri and Florida as she tied for the conference lead in game-winning goals. Thomas also had a knack for putting shots on frame this fall, ranking third in the conference in shot accuracy with a .571 shot-on-goal percentage. She is the sixth Vol to be named on the SEC All-Freshman Team in the past seven seasons.

"Jaida has stepped up in a massive way this fall," Pensky said. "She leads the SEC with three crucial game-winning goals that helped this program win the division title. Very proud of Jaida and excited to see what her future holds."

A full breakdown of 2020 SEC soccer postseason honors can be viewed below. For the most up-to-date information on Tennessee soccer, follow @Vol_Soccer on Twitter.

2020 SEC Soccer Awards

First Team All-SEC
Forward: Parker Goins, Arkansas
Forward: Anna Podojil, Arkansas
Forward: Jordyn Rhodes, Kentucky
Forward: Barbara Olivieri, Texas A&M
Midfielder: Abby Boyan, Georgia
Midfielder: Channing Foster, Ole Miss
Midfielder: Jyllissa Harris, South Carolina
Midfielder: Addie McCain, Texas A&M
Defender: Haley VanFossen, Arkansas
Defender: Anna Patten, South Carolina
Defender: Jimena Lopez, Texas A&M
Defender: Karlina Sample, Texas A&M
Goalkeeper: Ashley Orkus, Ole Miss
At Large: Hayley Hopkins, Vanderbilt

Second Team All-SEC
Forward: Riley Mattingly, Alabama
Forward: Rammie Noel, LSU
Forward: Julissa Cisneros, Missouri
Forward: Mackenzie George, Tennessee
Midfielder: Kayla McKeon, Arkansas
Midfielder: Alyssa Malonson, Auburn
Midfielder: Lauren Chang, South Carolina
Midfielder: Madi Elwell, Vanderbilt
Defender: Sarah Houchin, Auburn
Defender: Cecily Stoute, Georgia
Defender: Maya Gordon, LSU
Defender: Ella Shamburger, Vanderbilt
Goalkeeper: Emory Wegener, Georgia
At Large: Parker Roberts, Florida
At Large: Kayla Bruster, Georgia

All-Freshman Team
Felicia Knox, Alabama
Ellie Podojil, Arkansas
Ava Tankersley, Arkansas
Anna Haddock, Auburn
Maddie Prohaska, Auburn
Maria Olsen, Kentucky
Maddy Anderson, Mississippi State
Catherine Barry, South Carolina
Jaida Thomas, Tennessee
Laney Carroll, Texas A&M
Barbara Olivieri, Texas A&M
Abi Brighton, Vanderbilt

Co-Coach of the Year
Colby Hale, Arkansas
G Guerrieri, Texas A&M

Forward of the Year
Anna Podojil, Arkansas

Midfielder of the Year
Addie McCain, Texas A&M

Co-Defender of the Year
Jimena Lopez, Texas A&M
Karlina Sample, Texas A&M

Goalkeeper of the Year
Ashley Orkus, Ole Miss

Freshman of the Year
Barbara Olivieri, Texas A&M

Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Chanel Thomas, Ole Miss
Lauren Chang, South Carolina

University of Tennessee Athletics

Players Mentioned

Mackenzie George

Jaida Thomas

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