Women's Soccer | 12/7/2016 11:39:00 AM
ABILENE - With a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-America citation on her distinguished resume, it came as no surprise Wednesday that Abilene Christian senior defender
Kelsie Roberts was voted by the Southland Conference as its Student-Athlete of the Year for Women's Soccer.
Roberts set single-season career highs this fall with four goals and nine points all while maintaining her 4.0 grade-point average in biochemisty. For her efforts she was twice selected as the Southland Conference's Defensive Player of the Week, and later was named First Team All Conference, plus Defender of the Year, and Third Team NSCAA All-Central Region. Roberts also made the CoSIDA First Team All-District and America teams.
A native of Lucas, Texas and graduate of Lovejoy High School, Roberts finished her ACU career with 73 games, 6127 minutes played and 10 points – all of which but one was scored this fall.
Joining Roberts on the Southland Soccer All-Academic teams were second team honorees and McKinney, Texas, natives
Chloe Fifer and
Natalie Throneberry.
An interdisciplinary studies major with a 3.86 GPA, Fifer led the team in scoring with 14 points on three goals and eight assists – one shy of the school's single season record of nine set by Julie Coppedge in 2011. The junior Second Team All-Conference honoree was credited with the game-winners vs. Southeastern Louisiana and McNeese (PK) and had at least one point in six of ten conference games, including back-to-back multi-assist games vs. Texas AM&-Corpus Christi and Nicholls.
Throneberry made the Southland's list of honorable mentions at the end of this season after finishing second to Fifer on the team with 13 points (four goals and five assists). The kinesiology major this year recorded her first multi-goal performance in a 5-0 win vs. Prairie View A&M, and against the conference she totaled six points against the likes of Northwestern State, Houston Baptist and Stephen F. Austin.
ACU's three all-academic honorees are its most for a single season in program history, and tied Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, Northwestern Stat and Stephen F. Austin for the most awardees. Lamar and McNeese each had two student-athletes recognized, while Nichols, Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana claimed one individual.
The Wildcats finished their season at 9-8-2 and had their best fall against the Southland Conference, placing third with a mark of 8-2-1.
The Southland Conference awards committee, which consists of one administrator from each of the 13 member universities, votes for the student-athlete of the year. The Southland student-athlete of the year award is presented to the one student-athlete who achieves excellence in both academics and athletics. All nominees shall have earned at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and demonstrated athletic achievement for at least two years at the nominating institution.
The All-Academic teams are voted on by the head coaches, sports information directors and academic advisors from each Southland Conference university. Student-athletes must possess a 3.0 cumulative GPA, have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution and participated in at least 50 percent of the team's competition to qualify for the all-academic squad.
The Southland Conference will release its All-Academic football and volleyball teams later this week.
