Women's Soccer | 11/24/2015 11:07:00 AM
CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division I Soccer Teams?
ABILENE – Abilene Christian junior defender
Kelsie Roberts Tuesday was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Third Team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
A native of Lucas, Texas, and 2013 graduate of Lovejoy High School, Roberts is majoring in biochemistry and maintains a perfect 4.0 grade-point average.
This is Roberts' first Academic All-America citation. She was a Second Team Academic All-District honoree following her sophomore year of 2014, but was voted onto its first team last month, which resulted in her earning consideration for Academic All-America.
"Kelsie is not only a great student in the classroom but a great student of the game as well," said head coach
Casey Wilson. "I get rave reviews from her professors about how dedicated she is with her studies as a biochemistry major … and on the field Kelsie understands the game very well and is a player we have trusted to lead our defensive unit from the minute she arrived on campus. This is a well deserved honor."
Only 33 individuals out of hundreds of nominees nationwide make the All-America team. Twelve student-athletes were tabbed to the first team, 11 to the second team and 10 to the third team, where Roberts was joined by goalkeeper Gabrielle Gauruder (Michigan State), defenders Sarah Chambers Gardner (BYU) and Emma Koivisto (Florida State), midfielders Krista Fitzpatrick (Albany), Meghan Hegarty (Navy) and Jessica Widmann (Fordham), and forwards Addie Forbus (Mississippi), Kathryn Sloan (La. Tech) and Kailey Utley (West Virginia).
The award for CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year for Division I Women's Soccer went to Washington goalkeeper Megan Kufeld, who finished the season with a 1.01 goals against average, five shutouts and 77 saves. The senior has a 3.97 GPA and is studying biology.
Roberts was the only Southland Conference soccer player to make the list and is just the third ACU soccer player to receive one of the highest honors in all of collegiate athletics, joining Brie Buschman and Julie Coppedge. Buschman was a Third Team Academic All-America in 2011 and a first team honoree as a senior in 2013. Coppedge garnered third team honors in 2012.
On the pitch, Roberts has led the Wildcats to three consecutive winning seasons within the Southland Conference as her defensive line has helped pitch 14 shutouts while allowing an average of 1.30 goals and 13.9 shots per match. She earned Southland Conference honorable mention at the conclusion of her freshman season and was Second Team All-Southland Conference following her junior year.
Roberts' work in the classroom has earned her spots on ACU's Dean's List and the Southland Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll in addition to the title of Southland Conference All-Academic. She additionally is a recipient of the R. L. Money Chancellor's Award and an academic scholarship from Raytheon.
ACU Soccer is no stranger to academic success. Close to 90 percent of last year's roster posted a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher with nine individuals – Roberts included – registering a 4.0.
In September, Wilson's Wildcats scored their second College Team Academic Award in three years from the National Soccer Coaches Association. The Wildcats collectively posted a 3.56 CGPA during the 2014-15 academic calendar and were one of only four Southland schools to earn this honor along with Lamar (3.38), Houston Baptist (3.11), and Nicholls (3.17).
Soccer finished the fall of 2014 with a 3.58 GPA and recorded a near-identical 3.54 GPA in the spring of 2015.
Fifty-nine Wildcats have received Academic-All America distinction since 1963, beginning with football linebacker Jack Griggs. Track and Field's Daniel Block was the most recent Wildcat prior to Roberts to receive this prize, as he earned third-team honors in the spring of 2015.
