ST. LOUIS – Western Michigan graduate forward Dylan Sing claimed the league’s Player of the Year and Forward of the Year honors, Missouri State graduate midfielder Jack Denton won the Valley’s Midfielder of the Year Award and Western Michigan graduate defender Jaylen Shannon claimed the Valley’s Defensive Player of the Year award. Western Michigan goalie Ethan Brandt claimed the Goalkeeper of the Year award, while Missouri State’s Tyler Caton earned Freshman of the Year accolades. Sing, Denton, Shannon, Brandt and Caton headline a list of 22 student-athletes named to the 2023 MVC All-Conference teams, selected by the coaches, and announced by the league office Tuesday.

Missouri State and Western Michigan, combined to place 14 athletes on the first and second-team all-conference squads. The Bears and Broncos each placed seven players on the all-conference teams. UIC had three players on the squads, while Belmont and Bowling Green each placed two players on the all-conference teams. Evansville added one honoree. The 22-member team has players from six different countries, including 11 players from the United States, four from England, three from Spain, two from the Netherlands, one from Mexico and one from Trinidad & Tobago.

Sing, a first-time All-MVC first team honoree, becomes the first Bronco in program history to win the MVC Player of the Year and Forward of the Year awards. Sing was a huge offensive player for Western Michigan this season, scoring an NCAA-best 14 goals in 17 matches. The graduate is tied for second nationally with six game-winning goals this season and has the highest shot accuracy in the NCAA with a mark of 0.714.

Denton, a four-time All-MVC honoree, started all 15 matches for Missouri State this season and scored a career-high three goals. Denton added three assists and scored the game-winner at Maryland to help lead the team from his midfield position al season long. He is the first player in league history to win the league’s Midfielder of the Year award twice.

Shannon, a graduate defender for Western Michigan, has been a mainstay in the Broncos lineup, starting in all 17 matches this season. Shannon anchored a solid Western Michigan defense that ranked third in the NCAA this season with a 0.588 shutout percentage. Shannon provided an intimidating force on the Broncos’ back end and led all Western Michigan players in minutes played this season (1,447). The graduate becomes the first player in Western Michigan history to win MVC Defensive Player of the Year honors.

Brandt, a graduate goalkeeper for Western Michigan, becomes the first Bronco student-athlete to earn the MVC Goalkeeper of the Year award. Brandt logged the fifth-most saves per game (3.06) and best save percentage (.800) in the league this season. Brandt also ranked second in goals against average this season (.777). Eight of Brandt’s 13 wins came in shutout fashion and his eight shutouts ranks fourth nationally.

Caton, a freshman midfielder for the Bears, played in all 15 of Missouri State’s matches this season. Caton had the game-winning assist in the Bears’ wins over Maryland and Belmont. Caton is the third player in program history to be named MVC Freshman or Newcomer of the Year, joining Matt Caution (1993) and Mark Modersohn (1997). The award was a Newcomer of the Year award from 1991-95 and Freshman of the Year from 1996-present.

Western Michigan’s coaching staff has earned the MVC’s Coaching Staff of the Year honor, the first coaching honor for the Broncos as a league member. Head coach Chad Wiseman, in his 11th season at the helm, led the Broncos to a 13-1-3 mark this season, including a 7-0-1 league record which earned the MVC regular season title. The Broncos enter the tournament riding a program-record 16-match unbeaten streak. Wiseman is assisted by Shane Lyons, Mike Haines and Garrett Loehr.

Missouri State was tabbed the honor of the Valley’s Fair Play Award, which is structured after the FIFA Fair Play honor. It is awarded to the Valley squad that has the fewest penalty cards during all MVC matches, as the Bears tallied just six penalty cards in regular-season league action.

View the full list of all-conference honorees here.