CHARLOTTE, NC – Three Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference soccer Players of the Week have earned National accolades with Dodge City’s Hamza Bennadi earning NJCAA Division 1 Men’s Soccer Player of the Week while Barton’s Mio Tanaka and Neosho County’s Grant Thackray have earned NJCAA Soccer National Goalkeeper of the Week Awards for Week 7 of the 2024 season.

Hamza Bennadi – Dodge City (NJCAA Division 1 Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week)
Dodge City picked up a convincing non-conference win over Trinidad State, along with a tie against KCK on the road, and battled top-ranked Indian Hills. In the 7-2 win over Trinidad State, the Conquistadors got a hat trick from Hamza Bennadi getting the first DC3 goal on a penalty kick before adding two more from his feet in the second half.

Mio Tanaka – Barton (NJCAA Division 1 Women’s Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week)
Tanaka was solid in goal with 15 saves during Barton's 1-1 week. On Wednesday, surrendering a wind-aided 25-yard free kick and a point-blank deflected shot, Tanaka posted a career-high 13 saves, keeping Barton in the match of the eventual 2-1 loss to sixth-ranked Butler. On Saturday, Tanaka had two saves for her third shutout of the season, but it helped the Cougars keep pace in the upper half of the standings behind a 2-0 victory at Coffeyville.

Grant Thackray – Neosho County (NJCAA Division 2 Men’s Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week)
Thackray played a vital part in the two wins for the number six ranked Panthers last week as Neosho defeated Pratt 4-0 and earned a 3-1 road win over number seven Johnson County. Playing all 180 minutes in goal, Thackray conceded only one goal across the two games. After earning a clean sheet against Pratt in the first game of the week, Thackray made six saves while allowing his only goal of the week to number seven Johnson County to total 10 saves over the course of the week and two victories in net.