WESTERVILLE, Ohio — Three Marietta College Pioneers earned recognition on the 2026 All-Ohio Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Team, which was announced Wednesday morning (Nov. 4). Senior midfielder Gavin Heighberger (Lagrange, Ohio/Elyria) and freshman goalkeeper Travis Lutz (Finleyville, Pa./Ringgold) were both named to the All-OAC second team, while junior attacker Zach Kern (Rocky River, Ohio/Rocky River) earned third team All-OAC honors.
 
"I am happy that the league recognized all three of these players," said Marietta head coach Joe Bergin. "We are such a young team that if we can keep adding to our group, you will see more names populating these lists in the years to come."
 
Heighberger completed a strong senior campaign, starting every match for Marietta this season. He finished second on the team with three goals, including a pair of game-winning scores. The former OAC Freshman of the Year has now earned All-OAC recognition three times in his career.
 
"Gavin is the quintessential soccer player," said Bergin. "He is the son of a coach so he thinks along the lines of a coach. Gavin has an exceptionally high soccer IQ and is deserving of the recognition.  I am glad the coaches continue to recognize his talent and honored him with all -conference for the second year in a row."
 
Lutz made an immediate impact in his first season as a Pioneer. He started 11 matches in goal and finished the regular season ranked third in the OAC with 4.09 saves per game and a .729 save percentage. Lutz also ranked seventh in the conference with a 1.66 goals-against average.
 
"He is an imposing figure in goal and has saved us multiple times throughout the year when the opponent has made it through our defense," said Bergin. "As one of two freshmen to make first or second team all-conference, it is clear the league recognizes his talent as well."
 
Kern enjoyed a breakout season for Marietta, playing and starting in 14 matches. He led the team with seven goals, tying for seventh in the OAC, and his 14 points ranked eighth in the conference.
 
"Zach is a great story, a story of perseverance," Bergin said. "He played very little his freshman year, but kept working and started to get minutes by the end of that season.  Last year, he played behind the goal scoring record holder Parker Bolin (Albany, Ohio/Alexander). This year was his time, and he led the team in goals and was someone our opponents had to account for."
 
The Pioneers finished the season with a 5-8-4 overall record and a 3-4-1 mark in Ohio Athletic Conference play. Marietta made its first appearance in the OAC Tournament since 2023 but fell to fourth-seeded Baldwin Wallace University on penalty kicks in the opening round.
 
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on X and Instagram.