Lansing Sun

Michigan State University's women's soccer midfielder, Justina Gaynor, has been honored by the United Soccer Coaches as a Third Team All-American. This recognition makes her the fourth player in the program's history to receive such an accolade. She joins MSU Hall of Famer Laura (Heyboer) Heethius and former teammates Lauren DeBeau and Lauren Kozal in achieving this distinction.

Gaynor is among seven players from the Big Ten conference to earn All-America honors this year. Her contributions have been significant; she was named to the All-Big Ten First Team for three consecutive seasons, following in the footsteps of Heyboer, who also received at least three All-Big Ten First Team honors. Additionally, Gaynor was recognized earlier this week as part of the All-North Region team by United Soccer Coaches.

Throughout her time with Michigan State, Gaynor achieved impressive stats: ninth in assists with 20, 16th in points with 54, and 20th in total goals with 17. In the current season alone, she scored five game-winning goals and led her team with six assists.

Academically, Gaynor has excelled as well. She is a four-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree and a three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. In addition to these achievements, she was named a Scholar All-American by United Soccer Coaches in 2022 and an Academic All-American by College Sports Communicators in 2023. Earlier this year, she received MSU's Big Ten Medal of Honor.

The United Soccer Coaches will recognize this year's All-Americans at their annual ceremony on January 11, 2025, during their convention in Chicago.