KANSAS CITY, MO - The United Soccer Coaches announced its 2025 NCAA Division III All-Region teams, with three Falcons earning postseason recognition.
Valerie Leonard earned Third Team honors while
Lauren Best and
Emery Bigler each claimed Fourth Team recognitions.
These selections mark a historic milestone for UW-River Falls. The Falcons earned their first All-Region honors since 2014, and with three honorees in 2025, set a new program record for most All-Region selections in a single season.
The trio's recognition builds on UWRF's strong postseason awards cycle, each having earned All-WIAC First Team honors earlier this fall.
Valerie Leonard, the cornerstone of one of the WIAC's top defensive units, Leonard earns her first career All-Region (Third Team) nod following a season of consistency and leadership among the back line. She led the Falcons in minutes played with 1,771, started all 21 matches while logging thirteen 90-minute performances. Earlier this fall, she earned her first career All-WIAC First Team selection after previously receiving Honorable Mention in 2024.
Lauren Best caps off a decorated Falcon career with a Fourth Team All-Region honor, adding to a standout senior campaign that included All-WIAC First Team and WIAC Scholar-Athlete recognition. Best led UWRF with nine assists, tied for fifth in the league. She recorded 15 total points (3 goals, 9 assists) and ranked second in the WIAC with 58 shots, with 29 of them on target. Her selection adds to a triumphant senior year in which she became just the third Falcon ever to earn the Judy Kruckman WIAC Scholar-Athlete Award.
Junior forward
Emery Bigler earns her first career All-Region honor following a breakout season as UWRF's leading scorer. Bigler totaled 20 points on eight goals and four assists, ranking eighth in the WIAC and pacing the Falcons' attack. Bigler started all 21 matches and delivered three game-winning goals while generating 51 total shots, 29 of them on frame. She was a two-time WIAC Offensive Player of the Week selection. Her offensive production helped power the Falcons to their 13-5-3 overall record, the program's winningest season since 2014.
The Falcons 2025 campaign marked a turning point for UW-River Falls women's soccer. The program posted its most wins in more than a decade and advanced in the WIAC Tournament while producing a program-record three All-Region honorees.
