Da Silva receives David Rowlands Male Student-Athlete of the Year Award
Charlotte, NC – The NJCAA has announced Thiago Jose Da Silva, men's soccer student-athlete from Monroe College (NY), as the 2023-24 David Rowlands NJCAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year.
Playing for the Monroe College Mustangs for two seasons, Da Silva made a significant impact on the men's soccer program. A native of Brazil, Da Silva has been a member of the back-to-back national championship teams at Monroe College. He had an integral moment in his collegiate career during the 2023 NJCAA DI Men's Soccer Championship game when he made a bicycle-kick goal to tie the game and send it into overtime. After sending the game into overtime, Da Silva led the Mustangs to win the national championship against Tyler Junior College.
In his sophomore season, Monroe College had an overall record of 12-2-4 winning both the East District Championship and NJCAA National Championship. Da Silva finished the season with three goals and a total of seven points. He capped his championship run by being named the 2023 NJCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship Most Valuable Player.
Outside of soccer, Da Silva was also a leader in the classroom and finished his fall semester on the 2023 Monroe College's President's List having earned a GPA of 3.8 or higher for the semester.
"To be a great leader you must walk the walk. Thiago understood that his daily actions would ultimately create and shape the program's culture," said Marcus DiBernardo, Monroe College Men's Soccer Head Coach. "His influence on and off the field is responsible for back-to-back National Championships, a team GPA of 3.11, and a lifetime of positive memories to draw strength and inspiration from for years to come."
NJCAA Athletic Accomplishments
- 2022 & 2023 NJCAA DI Men's Soccer National Champion
- 2023 United Soccer Coaches Junior College Player of the Year
- 2023 NJCAA DI Men's Soccer Most Valuable Player
- 2023 United Soccer Coaches Junior College Division I Men's All-American
- 2022 & 2023 NJCAA DI Men's Soccer First Team All-American
- 2023 United Soccer Coaches Junior College DI Men's All North Region Team
- NJCAA All-Tournament Honors
Da Silva will be honored during the NJCAA Foundation Awards event, held on Thursday, June 6 at the Hilton Charlotte University Place at 6:30 PM ET. The event will recognize the NJCAA Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year, the Lea Plarski Award winner, the Champion Award winners, and the Difference Maker Award winner, in addition to the 2024 class of the NJCAA Hall of Fame.
To learn more regarding the NJCAA Foundation Awards event, visit: NJCAA Foundation Awards
To learn more about past NJCAA Male Student-Athletes of the Year, visit: David Rowlands Award Winners
About the NJCAA David Rowlands Award
David Rowlands was an active member of the NJCAA from 1972-1988. He was a regional director during that time and from 1975-1988 was the chair of the NJCAA baseball committee. Rowlands, a baseball coach at Truman College (Chicago, IL), served on the NJCAA gymnastics, golf, executive and eligibility committees. Rowlands was the perfect model of hard work, discipline, ethics, and excellence in community college athletics. This award is given annually to the NJCAA Student-Athlete that best exhibits these traits.
