The USL Championship announced Thursday that Charleston Battery forward Colton Swan has been voted the May USL Championship Player of the Month, presented by Konami eFootball. The accolade puts a bow on Swan’s stellar run in May as the league’s top performer.
Swan, 19, is the youngest player to claim the USL Championship’s Player of the Month award since it was instituted in the 2017 season. He surpassed the mark of Abdellatif Aboukoura, who was 20 years old when he claimed the award for March 2025 on the way to becoming the league’s Young Player of the Year at the conclusion of the campaign.
The rising star striker scored four goals and added one assist across all competitions in May. Additionally, Swan ended the month as the team’s top overall goalscorer with seven tallies to his name.
“The award is a testimony to the hard work that the group and I have been putting in throughout the year,” said Swan. “While my motivation doesn’t necessarily come from the game or awards, it comes from my duty to glorify God through my play and actions, but winning awards like this is still very exciting. I want to thank the players and amazing staff around me that I get to work with every day, since I wouldn’t be in the position I am in without them.”
Swan’s run in May included a brace against Sporting Club Jacksonville for Swan, a feat where he became the Battery’s second-youngest player to record a two-goal game in Championship play (18 years and 364 days old), trailing only Fidel Barajas (17 years and 171 days). The United States youth international also became the first teenager to score a brace in the Championship since 2024.
“We are very excited for Colton to earn this award early in his professional career,” said Head Coach Ben Pirmann. “This award is a clear indication that Colton and this team are willing to improve each and every day. Hopefully more and more of our players can earn awards.
“Colton has a great mentality; he is hungry, he is tenacious and he is genuinely selfless for this club. He wants to improve, and he understands the process in which he is currently navigating. This has resulted in his uptick in form and production, but also in his individual and the team’s performances.”
Swan is the first Battery player to win Player of the Month since Nick Markanich won it for August in 2024.
The impressive rookie campaign at the club level for Swan has also been paired with multiple call-ups to the U.S. U-19 and U-20 national teams this year.
Swan earned 45% of a weighted poll that included the USL Championship Technical Committee, a national panel of independent media representing every USL market and an online fan vote held at USLChampionship.com. He edged out Tampa Bay Rowdies forward MD Myers, who finished in a distant second place.
Charleston return home on Sat., June 13, to face reigning Western Conference champions FC Tulsa at Patriots Point. Tickets for the game, which will feature a post-match fireworks show, are on sale now via SeatGeek.com, the club’s exclusive digital ticketing provider.
