MORGANTOWN — Trinity Christian School graduates and all-state soccer selections Ben Lohmann and Carmelo Kniska received national recognition on Tuesday when they were named to the United Soccer Coaches High School Scholar All-Americans list.
The national award is given to high school seniors who have succeeded on the field and in the classroom during their four-year high school careers.
Lohmann and Kniska are the only W.Va. players to be named on the 2024 list.
“This is an incredible honor, not only for the two of them but also for the Trinity soccer program and the school,” said Dan Lohmann, TCS soccer coach and Ben’s father. “Regarding the soccer program itself, we have no issues, the team is mature and it’s been an honor to coach them. Particularly with Ben and Carmelo, they’re both ultra-competitors and both wanted to work hard to get better every year.”
Kniska scored 25 goals for TCS in 2023, earning an all-state selection for Class AA/A. He also held a 4.6 grade point average and will attend Columbia University.
“Carmelo didn’t begin playing soccer until his freshman year, but he’s been our neighbor for a long time,” Lohmann said. “I remember he and Ben playing soccer together all the time, and when he joined the team, he took the time to figure out what he needed to do to be a good player. He worked hard to get better, and it showed.”
Ben Lohmann was a two-time selection for Goalkeeper of the Year in Class AA/A and was named first-team all-state in 2024. He was the West Virginia Region I Player of the Year and a finalist for state Player of the Year after keeping eight clean sheets. Lohmann held a 4.25 GPA and will attend West Virginia University this fall.
Lohmann and Kniska have been invited to the United Soccer Coaches All-America ceremony in Chicago on January 11, 2025, to be recognized along with the other boys’ and girls’ All-American selections.
