MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University senior defender Kadeisha Buchanan was named the 2016 Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy recipient, tonight, at the MAC Hermann Trophy Award Banquet, held at the Downtown Clubhouse, in St. Louis, Missouri.

College soccer’s version of the Heisman Trophy, Buchanan is the first Mountaineer student-athlete to claim the storied award. The Brampton, Ontario, native is the first defender to win the honor since Cat Reddick (North Carolina) did so first in 2003.

“It is an amazing feeling to win the MAC Hermann Trophy,” Buchanan, a two-time finalist, said. “Tonight’s honor is not just for me – it’s for my friends, my family, my teammates and my coaches. My last season at WVU was amazing, and to finish it with this award is an insane feeling.

“There were a lot of firsts for the program this year, and I think that all helped me become the first Mountaineer to win the Hermann Trophy Award as well. It took a total team effort to put me in the place where I could win this honor.”

Joined at this evening’s ceremony by 21-year Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown, the MAC Hermann Trophy caps a 2016 season which saw Buchanan help lead WVU to its first NCAA College Cup appearance and a National Runner-Up finish.

Wouldn't be standing here without you, @WVUIzzoBrown THANK YOUpic.twitter.com/g2gm2WoWUr — Kadeisha Buchanan (@keishaballa) January 7, 2017

“When Kadeisha joined the WVU program in 2013, winning the Hermann Trophy was one of her career goals,” Izzo-Brown recalled. “She did not want to leave the collegiate playing level without winning this honor. I am so happy the committee recognized her talent, her hard work and her effort to be the best soccer player in the country. Kadeisha proved that any athlete can come to WVU and continue to develop and achieve personal goals. Over the last four seasons, she helped this program establish its footing as one of the best in the country. I’m thrilled for Kadeisha, and so happy to enjoy this achievement with her tonight.”

The winners and finalists for the MAC Hermann Trophy, the highest level of achievement in the sport, are determined by a vote of Division I coaches who are members of the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). With tonight’s honor, Buchanan joins a storied list of female award winners which includes two-time award winner Christine Sinclair (Portland, 2004-05), a Canadian National Team teammate of Buchanan’s, as well as Christen Press (Stanford, 2010) and Mia Hamm (North Carolina, 1992-93).

“There are so many world-class players that won this award before me, and I have known for a long time that I wanted to be a part of that group,” Buchanan said. “Words can’t explain how proud I am to win this award.”

Congrats to West Virginia's Kadeisha Buchanan and Wake Forest's Ian Harkes - the 2016 @HermannTrophy award winners! #NCAASoccer pic.twitter.com/69eV12X9vw — NCAA Soccer (@NCAASoccer) January 7, 2017

Buchanan, a four-time NSCAA All-American and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honoree, claimed the 2016 espnW and TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Year honors in December. She also was named the Honda Sport Award winner for soccer and the 2016 NCAA Tournament Defensive MVP. A finalist for the 2016 Senior CLASS Award, she was named to the award’s All-America First Team.

The only WVU women’s soccer player to receive All-America honors in all four seasons in Morgantown, she also is a four-time All-Big 12 honoree and has won four Academic All-Big 12 awards, three Big 12 Tournament Defensive MVP honors and the 2015 Soccer News Net Women’s College Boot award.

A two-time team captain, she and the WVU defense posted a nation- and program-best 18 shutouts this season and allowed just 12 opponent goals. The Mountaineers did not allow a goal throughout the Big 12 Conference regular-season slate, becoming the first team in conference history to pitch a season shutout in league play. The defense held each Big 12 team but one to two shots or less on-goal en route to its fifth straight Big 12 Conference regular-season title. The Mountaineers also claimed the Big 12 Championship crown, sweeping the conference titles for the third time in five years. WVU finished with a program-record 23 victories.

Wow! Congratulations to Kadeisha Buchanan - the 2016 Hermann Trophy Award winner! #HailWV pic.twitter.com/CQHbLQE9Kr — WVU Women's Soccer (@wvuwomenssoccer) January 7, 2017

Buchanan started 90-of-91 career matches, and the WVU backline allowed just 62 opponent goals and posted 55 shutouts since she joined the team in 2013. She tallied nine points (3 G, 3 A) in 2016, including an assist on the team’s game-winner in its 1-0 victory over Duke in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals. Buchanan posted 25 (8 G, 9 A) career points in four seasons.

A starter for the full Canadian National Team, Buchanan helped Canada claim the Bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympic Games. The 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup Best Yong Player honoree, she also was named the 2015 BMO Canadian Player of the Year.