University of Minnesota Athletics
Photo by: Bjorn Franke
Minnesota Adds Westlund to 2026 Roster
12/9/2025 1:30:00 PM | Soccer
United Soccer Coaches Pacific All-Region player Ava Westlund will join the Gophers for the 2026 season
MINNEAPOLIS - University of Minnesota soccer head coach Erin Chastain has announced the addition of Ava Westlund (Arden Hills, Minn.), for the 2026 season. Westlund will join the Golden Gophers after three seasons at California Baptist University.
This past season, Westlund earned United Soccer Coaches All-Pacific Region honors and was named to the All-WAC First Team and the All-WAC Tournament Team. She started all 23 games for the Lancers and led the team with nine goals and 1,823 minutes played. Westlund ranked second on the team with 23 points and five assists. She helped lead the Lancers to back-to-back WAC Tournament championships and NCAA first-round appearances. In addition, Westlund also was named a CSC Academic All-District selection.
In 2024, Westlund started 13 games and appeared in 19. As a sophomore, she scored three goals and recorded four assists. The forward scored the game-winner against UC Riverside during the regular season and the game-tying goal against Utah Valley in a 3-2 WAC Tournament semifinal win.
As a freshman in 2023, Westlund came off the bench 13 times for the Lancers, logging 251 minutes. She tallied two goals, including the game-winner against Stephen F. Austin.
Westlund also competes with Minnesota Aurora FC, a member of the USL W League. This past season, she scored three goals and added one assist while helping lead the Aurora to the USL W League national semifinals.
A native of Arden Hills, Westlund attended Mounds View High School and graduated in 2022. She played four years of varsity soccer and was an All-Conference selection in 2020 and 2021.
This past season, Westlund earned United Soccer Coaches All-Pacific Region honors and was named to the All-WAC First Team and the All-WAC Tournament Team. She started all 23 games for the Lancers and led the team with nine goals and 1,823 minutes played. Westlund ranked second on the team with 23 points and five assists. She helped lead the Lancers to back-to-back WAC Tournament championships and NCAA first-round appearances. In addition, Westlund also was named a CSC Academic All-District selection.
In 2024, Westlund started 13 games and appeared in 19. As a sophomore, she scored three goals and recorded four assists. The forward scored the game-winner against UC Riverside during the regular season and the game-tying goal against Utah Valley in a 3-2 WAC Tournament semifinal win.
As a freshman in 2023, Westlund came off the bench 13 times for the Lancers, logging 251 minutes. She tallied two goals, including the game-winner against Stephen F. Austin.
Westlund also competes with Minnesota Aurora FC, a member of the USL W League. This past season, she scored three goals and added one assist while helping lead the Aurora to the USL W League national semifinals.
A native of Arden Hills, Westlund attended Mounds View High School and graduated in 2022. She played four years of varsity soccer and was an All-Conference selection in 2020 and 2021.
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