Michael Chesler has been named the Big West Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year and Oliver Watts was named the league’s Rookie of the Year, according to a Nov. 6 announcement. The two headline a total of 10 Utah Valley Wolverines who received conference honors, marking the most individual awards for a single season in program history.
Chesler's selection marks the program's second Coach of the Year award, following Greg Maas in 2016. Under Chesler, the team has achieved 10 wins, the most under a first-year head coach in school history, and has reached double-digit wins for the fourth time.
Watts, a midfielder, is the program's third Rookie of the Year winner. He led all Big West freshmen in goals and entered postseason play tied for second on the team with three goals, all scored during league play.
The 10 honorees include first-team All-Big West selections Toke Amtrup and Jose Luis Martin Montealegre. Five players were named to the All-Big West second team: Brayden Tester, Dan McKay, Nil Grau, Trevor Walk, and Jackson Medina. Luca Wingaa Laursen received All-Big West Honorable Mention and was named to the Big West All-Freshman team alongside Watts.
In other athletic news, Utah Valley Director of Athletics Jared Sumsion announced Friday that women’s soccer head coach Chris Lemay has signed a three-year contract extension. The agreement keeps Lemay at the helm through the 2029 season.
Lemay is the winningest coach in program history with a 115-70-26 record. During his tenure, he has guided the team to six conference regular-season championships, including five consecutive titles, and has earned three WAC Coach of the Year awards in 2022, 2024, and 2025.
Utah Valley women's volleyball recently lost to UC San Diego 3-0 on Thursday night at Lockhart Arena. The Wolverines' 8-17 record follows the match, where Miley Thunstrom recorded a team-high 12 kills and Evalyn Medaris tallied 34 assists.
Utah Valley men's soccer begins postseason play on Saturday, Nov. 7, hosting the No. 4 seed Calista Bakersfield Roadrunners at 2 p.m. MT. The Wolverines will also close their women's volleyball home schedule on Saturday, Nov. 7, against UC Irvine, with the first serve scheduled for noon MT.
