Jony Muñoz (born November 8, 2001) is an American college soccer player who plays for Dos Hermanas in the Andalusia Regional League. Muñoz is the 2020 recipient of the Gatorade Boys' Soccer Player of the Year Award, a national honor recognizing the best high school soccer player in the United States. After graduating high school, Muñoz played two seasons of college soccer: one with Liberty University and one with University of Missouri–Kansas City.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jony Muñoz | ||
| Date of birth | (2001-11-08) November 8, 2001 (age 20) | ||
| Place of birth | Olathe, Kansas | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Dos Hermanas | ||
| Number | 20 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2015–2018 | Sporting Kansas City | ||
| 2018–2020 | Toca FC | ||
| 2018–2020 | Olathe West Owls | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | Liberty Flames | 0 | (0) |
| 2021 | Kansas City Roos | 20 | (8) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2022– | Dos Hermanas | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 17, 2021 | |||
Growing up, Muñoz played high school soccer for Olathe West High School and for the youth academy teams of Toca FC and Sporting Kansas City.
Muñoz played club soccer for Sporting Kansas City's Academy during his freshman and sophomore years of high school, before playing high school soccer for Olathe West during his junior and senior years.[1] Muñoz, a devout Christian, said the choice was "a God-led decision", which helped him have a more balanced life.[1] During his senior year of high school, Muñoz lead the Owls to a 20–1–0 record, and Kansas Class 6A State Championship, Olathe West's first ever state championship in a team sport.[1] Muñoz played in all 21 matches, scoring 36 goals and dishing out 19 assists his senior year of high school.[1] While in high school, Munoz also played club soccer for Toca FC in the Kansas City metropolitan area.[2]
On June 17, 2020, Muñoz was awarded Gatorade Boys' Soccer Player of the Year Award for the top boys' soccer player in the country.[3][4] He is the first soccer player from the state of Kansas to win the honor.[5][6] He was also named the Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year (2020).[7]
Pending developments of the COVID-19 pandemic, Muñoz will begin playing college soccer for Liberty University ahead of the 2020 NCAA Division I men's soccer season.[7] However, Muñoz transferred to University of Missouri–Kansas City ahead of the spring portion of the 2020 season, never playing for the Flames. During his freshman year with Kansas City, Muñoz made fourteen appearances, scoring six times, earning third team Freshman All-American honors by College Soccer News.[8]
Muñoz did not return to UMKC for his junior season and opted to go professional. He currently plays Dos Hermanas in the Spanish regional leagues.[9]
Muñoz is a devout Christian and plays guitar in his church's worship band.[10] With his church, he went on a week-long mission trip to Mexico.[10] He was a supporter of former president Donald Trump.[11]
Gatorade High School Soccer Player of the Year Award | |
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| Girls |
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