By Trevor Wenners
Assistant Director of Sports Information
Links: United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award / USA South Academic All-Conference Team
The LaGrange College women's soccer team continues to excel in the classroom, as the Panthers took home the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic award for the 10th-straight year during the 2019-20 season.
A team must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale during the 2019-20 academic year to be eligible for this honor. The Panthers shattered that requirement by a large margin, finishing with a 3.39 GPA.
|
"Only a small percentage of colleges across the nation have won the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic award 10 years in a row," said LaGrange women's soccer head coach Fred Wagenaar. "I am thrilled that our players show such diligence in the classroom. I know that they will carry this excellent focus and perseverance into their adult lives and careers. LaGrange always emphasizes the importance of academics. I could not be prouder of the character shown by these outstanding student-athletes."
Wagenaar always holds his student-athletes to a high standard from an academic perspective. The squad has earned the honor from the United Soccer Coaches in all six of his seasons at the helm, dating back to 2014-15. LaGrange has earned this accolade in 11 of the past 12 years, going back to 2008-09.
During the spring 2020 semester, the unit recorded a 3.53 GPA, which was the second-highest mark at LaGrange behind the women's cross-country team (3.65).
"Our team has high expectations for academic success and an understanding that academics come first," said junior women's soccer student-athlete Madison Demkowski. "Coach Wagenaar communicates all the time that academics are the reason that we are at college."
The women's soccer program also placed 13 student-athletes on the USA South Academic All-Conference team. Breanna Gay, Riley Hammett and Maurie White were recognized with distinction, meaning that they all maintained a minimum GPA of 3.9 in each semester during the 2019-20 year.
Gracie Amonett, Olivia Braun, Sydney Dailey, Demkowski, Taylor Hamm, Audrey Harkness, Jasmine Middleton Abby Miranda, Christina Shanahan and Natalie Tyler maintained GPAs of 3.3 or higher during the fall 2019 and spring 2020 semesters.
Trevor Wenners can be reached at twenners@lagrange.edu.
-
For continuing coverage of Panther athletics, stay up to date with our website and follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
