KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The United Soccer Coaches named BYU’s Ellie Walbruch and Lucy Kesler NCAA Division I All-Americans. Walbruch earned second-team honors, while Kesler was selected to the third team.
The Cougars ended the season with an overall record of 11-7-6, making a run to the NCAA Sweet 16 and winning their first Big 12 Soccer Tournament title. BYU’s young starting lineup clinched six home field wins and the Cougar backline and goalkeeper unit tallied eight shutouts on the year.
Walbruch’s career-high season places her atop the Cougars in goals (16), shots (91) and shots on goal (41). Her 16 goals place her among BYU’s most prolific goal-scorers, tying her for No. 13 in the record book for most goals in a single season. She now joins current professional players Cameron Tucker, Mikayla Cluff and Michele Vasconcelos in that category. Her 91 shots rank No. 10 in the record book for most shots in a single season. She also added one assist for a total of 33 points as a junior forward. Named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List and the All-Big 12 First Team, Walbruch proved to be a force in BYU’s attack. With an impressive run in the postseason, Walbruch tallied five goals in the Big 12 Tournament, earning Most Outstanding Offensive Player and earning a spot on the Big 12 All-Tournament Team. Walbruch scored her first career hat trick this season against Arizona and earned her first-ever Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honor. She is one of only 14 players ever to record a hat trick for BYU. With four multiple-goal games this year, she is now tied for No. 4 for the most multiple-goal games in a single season. In her two seasons at BYU, Walbruch has tallied 27 goals, ranking No. 19 in the program’s career record book. Scoring in five straight games during conference play, Walbruch became one of only four players in BYU history to record a goal in five or more consecutive matches.
The sophomore midfielder started 22 games this season, missing just two while attending a U-20 USWNT Training Camp. With 1,681 minutes on the pitch, Kesler scored her first career brace against Oklahoma State and added three assists to her stat sheet. She joined her cousin Walbruch on the Big 12 All-Tournament Team, the All-Big 12 First Team and the All-Midwest Region First Team to close out a stellar sophomore season for the Cougars. Prior to the 2025 season, Kesler also attended the US National Team College ID Camp.