SALT LAKE CITY - Real Salt Lake today acquired defender Chris Wingert in a deal with the Colorado Rapids that sent the club's 2008 (1st-Round) and 2009 (2nd-Round) Supplemental Draft picks to the Rocky Mountain Cup rivals. Wingert is expected to join Real Salt Lake (1-7-6, 9 pts., 6th West) this weekend in Kansas City and be eligible for selection in Saturday's game vs. the Eastern Conference Wizards (6-5-4, 22 pts. T-4th East), televised at 6:30 p.m. MT on KSL 5 TV. RSL defeated Kansas City, 2-1, on April 18 at Rice-Eccles Stadium in an U.S. Open Cup play-in game, with Andy Williams providing the game-winner in the 109th minute.
"By adding Chris Wingert, we bring in a versatile young player with veteran experience," said Real Salt Lake Technical Director/Director of Soccer Operations John Ellinger. "He is a player who can play all four slots in the back line and fill in at midfield if needed. He provides a strong, physical presence, is one of the best passing defenders in MLS, and greatly increases the quality of our depth."
Wingert has played in 70 MLS regular-season and playoff games for the Columbus Crew and Colorado Rapids, recording 0 goals and 2 assists (and 0 red cards) since being drafted 12th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by the Crew out of St. John's. The 25-year-old Wingert will occupy Real Salt Lake's 18th and final available spot on the team's Senior roster, wearing jersey #5 for his third MLS club.
During his four seasons with St. John's, Wingert scored 13 goals and 12 assists while the Red Storm experienced considerable success, culminating in a trip to the 2003 NCAA College Cup Final, falling to Indiana. Wingert was named both 2002 and 2003 first team All-America, capping his collegiate career by winning the 2003 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy, college soccer's Heisman equivalent. During his time at St. John's, Wingert played a total of 88 games, missing only one game in his career, due to U.S. U-23 National Team duty. As captain during his senior season at St. John's, Wingert became the first player in NCAA Division I men's soccer history to win both the Hermann Trophy and the NSCAA Scholar-Athlete Award in the same season.
Wingert, the son of Norm Wingert, a goalkeeper with the North American Soccer League's Philadelphia Atoms, lettered in both soccer and tennis at St. Johns the Baptist High School in West Islip, New York. Besides having a professional soccer goalkeeper as a father, Wingert's grandfather, Warren Mehrtens, won the 1946 Triple Crown, riding a famed horse named Assault. </p>
