PANTHER WOMEN’S SOCCER EARNS PRESTIGOUS NATIONWIDE AWARD

United Soccer Coaches, the world's largest soccer coaches' organization, announced the presentation today of their most prestigious award, the Pinnacle Award.  Chaffey College's Women's Soccer team was the only community college program in the nation honored by the organization; receiving the highest level of honor, the Platinum Award.  Seven collegiate programs nationwide were recognized.

The Pinnacle Award recognizes teams that have earned both the College Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award and the College Team Academic Award (team GPA above 3.0) and have recorded a winning percentage of .750 or higher during their competitive season.  Platinum status is awarded to teams that have received zero penalty cards in their season.  Chaffey College was the only program recognized for this level of sportsmanship.

"This award means a great deal to us as a coaching staff as it symbolizes the hard work our student-athletes put in year-round not only on the soccer field but also in the classroom," said Head Coach Grace Cooper after this morning's announcement.  "Our winning record is only one part of this award; this also requires academic excellence and sportsmanship. To have zero yellow cards in a season reflects a team that plays with integrity and respect at all times.  To have a group that can accomplish all three is extremely rare, especially at the collegiate level." 

In the 2021 season, Chaffey's Women's Soccer program was undefeated in the Inland Empire Athletic Conference (11-0) and advanced to the CCCAA state playoffs as the #8 seed in the south. 

"We are incredibly proud of our coaches and the student-athletes who earned this Platinum Team Pinnacle Award," commented Dr. Timi Brown, Chaffey College's Director, Kinesiology and Athletics.  "To be the only community college in the nation to achieve all three benchmarks is an amazing accomplishment. It speaks to how dedicated Coach Cooper and her student-athletes are to academic and athletic success at Chaffey College."

Grace Cooper has coached women's soccer at Chaffey College since 2007 and has captured four conference championships, been named Coach of the Year three times by her peers, and has led the Panthers to regional playoffs 11 times.  Her 2022 team is ranked #1 in California, #7 in the nation, and is currently undefeated.