Panama City's Jesslyn Kuhnel leads U.S. to World Cup, earns MVP honors

Panama City native Jesslyn Kuhnel played a vital role in helping the U.S. Women’s Cerebral Palsy National Team win its second International Federation of Cerebral Palsy Football World Cup with a 3-2 comeback victory over Australia on Saturday.After being down 2-0 at halftime, Kuhnel scored the Americans’ second goal to tie the game at 2-2. Teammate Annie Wickett scored the game-winner in stoppage time to secure the title.Who is the athlete of the week? Vote for the Florida Power and Light athlete of the week, Oct. 19-24Local volleyball Arnold volleyball sweeps Choctawhatchee for Elite Eight spotKuhnel was named the tournament’s most valuable player after scoring a goal in every game and eight goals in this tournament. Her goal in the final was her 30th in 19 appearances, extending her record as the programs all-time leading scorer.The United States won its first World Cup title in the inaugural tournament in 2022. Australia defeated the Americans in the 2024 final before the U.S. reclaimed the title in 2026.Adebanji Bamidele is a sports reporter for the Panama City News Herald. He can be reached at abamidele@gannett.com or through X, formerly known as Twitter, @AdebanjiPCSport.This article originally appeared on The News Herald: Panama City's Jesslyn Kuhnel leads U.S. to World Cup, earns MVP honors