Football | 11/6/2014 11:44:00 AM
Academic All-District Football
Academic All-District Volleyball
ABILENE - Abilene Christian senior defensive back
Angel Lopez and senior middle blocker
Neely Borger Thursday were named Capital One Academic All-District 7 by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
CoSIDA District 7 includes all NCAA Division I student-athletes competing at schools in Colorado, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.
Lopez made the all-district first team for football and will have his name forwarded onto the ballot for Academic All-America - an award which will be announced Dec. 4 - while Borger made the second team for volleyball. Borger also received an academic all-district citation as a sophomore in 2011.
A native of San Antonio and four-year letterwinner, Lopez is the second ACU gridiron star to be honored for DI academics in as many years by CoSIDA, joining linebacker
Thor Woerner.
Lopez is a biology major who made ACU's Dean's Honor Roll in May of 2013 and has been named to the school's Athletics Honor Roll on seven occasions. He also was selected to the Lone Star Commissioner's Honor Roll in Summer of 2013 after leading the Wildcats in tackles with 109, including a team-best 72 solo stops. Lopez finished 2012 with 87 tackles and was voted honorable mention All-Lone Star Conference.
Lopez currently ranks eighth in the Southland Conference with 7.9 tackles per game with two contests remaining - this Saturday vs. Northwestern State and Nov. 15 at Sam Houston State. Additionally, Lopez has 2.5 tackles for loss, a forced fumble at Houston Baptist, interceptions vs. Georgia State and Ave Maria, and three pass breakups.
Twenty-four student-athletes made the all-district football team and Lopez was joined at the defensive back position by UTEP's Wesley Miller, Baylor's Collin Brence and Idaho State's Cody Sorensen.
Lamar running back Kade Harrington and Incarnate Word linebacker Padyn Giebler were the only other Southland Conference student-athletes named to this prestigious list.
A native of Amarillo, Borger was joined on the six-woman all-district second team by Houston Baptist's Kayla Armer, Marguerite Grubb and Breeann David of Texas Tech, Jill Ivy of Stephen F. Austin, and Texas A&M's Shelby Sullivan.
Borger is a business marketing major with concentrations in nutrition science and advertising/public relations, and her anticipated graduation is May of 2015. In addition to being named Lone Star Conference All-Academic and making both the Lone Star and Southland Conference Commissioner Honor Rolls, Borger joined the Phi Eta Sigma and Alpha Chi Honor Societies. The Alpha Chi Honor Society is reserved for the top 10 percent of ACU's junior and senior classes.
A three-year team captain, Borger was voted Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year and honorable mention selection in 2010. The following year she ranked 60th nationally and fourth in the conference with 1.01 blocks per set, and just last season - her first in Division I - Borger rebounded from a torn ACL to average 2.03 points and 1.52 kills per set with a .206 hitting percentage.
Borger is the first ACU volleyball player to be recognized by CoSIDA since the school transitioned into DI Athletics. Former Wildcat defensive specialist and current graduate assistant coach
Caley Johnson was the last volleyball player to be named Academic All-District in 2012.
Borger and her Wildcat teammates are in action Thursday at 7 p.m. vs. McNeese and Saturday at 11 a.m. vs. Nicholls.
ACU Athletics' 2014-15 CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District HonoreesFootball: Sr.
Angel Lopez (first team)
Soccer: So. Kelsie Roberts (second team)
Volleyball: Sr.
Neely Borger (second team)
