Samantha Hodge Named to Capitol One Academic All-District III First Team
First Catamount soccer player to be named First Team All-District III
CULLWOHEE, N.C. - Western Carolina women's soccer redshirt junior Samantha Hodge has been named to the Capitol One Academic All-District III First Team as announced today by CoSIDA.
Hodge, a defender from Louisville, Ky., becomes the first Catamount soccer player, in school history, to be named to the All-District First Team. In the past, Western Carolina had two players make second team all-district: Kyla Deon (2002) and Emily Pierce twice (2003 and 2005).
Hodge will now move onto the national ballot and have a chance to be named to the Capitol One Academic All-America Team.
Carrying a 3.96 GPA in Mathematics, Hodge not only splits her time with playing soccer for the Catamounts and her work in the classroom, she also serves as the Vice-President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
On the field, Hodge played and started in all 20 matches in the 2011 season. She led the team in goals scored (5) assists (6) and points (24), with all three being career-highs.
As the Vice-President of SAAC, she has planned and organized pink games for all the Western Carolina sports that will be carried out throughout the 2011-12 seasons. This is her second term as Vice-President.
Hodge will return for her redshirt senior season in 2011.
Furman's Jessica Smith Named To Capital One Academic All-District 4 First Team
Greenville, S.C. -- Furman goalkeeper Jessica Smith has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District 4 First Team, it was announced on Friday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Smith, a senior from Franklin, Tenn., sports a 3.96 grade point average and is on schedule to graduate with a degree in chemistry.
A 2011 second team All-Southern Conference selection, Smith has fashioned a 0.98 goals against average and recorded three shutouts while guiding the Paladins to a 12-7-2 overall record and an appearance in tonight's SoCon Tournament semifinals against top-seed Samford. Her 0.98 career goals against average in 76 matches ranks as the best in Furman history and sixth best in SoCon women's soccer history. She leads all active SoCon keepers with 323 career saves and her 23 career shutouts are tied for second most by a Paladin.
Smith, a 2010 second team Capitial One Academic All-District pick, is the first Paladin to garner first team honors since Nancy Mather in 2002.
Appalachian's Dodd Named Academic All-District
BOONE, N.C. - Appalachian State women's soccer player Katy Dodd (Apex, N.C./Apex) has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District III Division I second team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
In her third campaign as team captain, Dodd scored four goals on the season, including the game-winner in a 1-0 shutout of UNC Asheville. On Oct. 16, she posted a career-high seven shots in a game against Chattanooga. Dodd started in all 19 contests this season and has been a starter in every game for the past three years.
The senior finished her career with 10 goals and three assists, and she has been honored by the Southern Conference as an Academic Honor Roll, Academic all-SoCon and Student-Athlete of the Week selection.
Off the field, Dodd is enrolled in Honors College programs and has maintained an impressive 3.92 GPA while majoring in biology with a minor in chemistry. She is a four-time Chancellor's List and six-time Dean's List honoree.
The Capital One Academic All-District teams are selected by sports information directors at regional schools. In Division I sports, District III includes colleges in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.
Schaidle Named Academic All-District
Junior midfielder honored for her excellence on the field and in the classroom
CHARLESTON, S.C. - College of Charleston junior women's soccer player Sarah Schaidle embodies what a complete student-athlete should be and was named a 2011 Capital One Academic All-District first-team selection as a standout both in the classroom and on the soccer field.
Schaidle is a spark and a playmaker in the Cougars' midfield. She possesses great leadership attributes and determination which helped lead the Cougars to a record-breaking 13-win season and runner-up finish in the SoCon Championship.
"Sarah Schaidle is a tremendous student athlete for us," said head coach Christian Michner. "On the field, she is fantastic and scores a lot of goals and does great things for our program. Off the field, she does a tremendous job in the classroom to maintain an awesome GPA and her status in the Honors College. She is the epitome of the whole student-athlete getting it done on and off the field.
"She has worked extremely hard her entire life to be such a threat on the soccer field. It's not easy to be that good on the field while still being able to maintain such a high level of excellence in the classroom. It's a pleasure to coach someone who works as hard on the field as she does off the field."
The honor adds to the Simpsonville, S.C., native's 2011 honors which include first-team All-Southern Conference as well as the SoCon all-tournament team.
Her on-field accolades are complemented by her 3.70 GPA as a biochemistry major and member of the Honors College.
Schaidle consistently ignites the Cougar offense and led the 2011 squad in shots while netting seven goals and assisting three. She scored three goals which won games for the Cougars including hard-fought, one-goal wins over SoCon opponents Chattanooga and Davidson.
The Academic All-District teams are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) to recognize the nation's top student‐athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Capital One became the entitlement rights holder to CoSIDA's Academic All‐America teams in 2011.
As a first-team selection, Schaidle advances to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later in Nov.
The Academic All‐District teams are divided into eight geographic distri cts across the United States and Canada. Schaidle made the District IV team which encompasses Division I schools in South Carolina, Florida, Alabama, Georgia and Puerto Rico.
Wofford's Maggie O'Brien Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Second Team
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - Wofford forward Maggie O'Brien has been named to the 2011 CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District IV women's soccer second team for excellence in the classroom and on the soccer field.
O'Brien, a senior from Macon, Georgia, scored two goals and recorded one assist throughout the season, finishing fifth on the team in points with five. Her goals came in wins over Presbyterian College and UNC Asheville, with the assist taking place in the season-opening win over East Tennessee State.
O' Brien has excelled in the classroom throughout her time at Wofford, posting a 3.91 grade point average with a major in chemistry. She is a three-time member of the Southern Conference Academic Honor Roll, and has twice been named to the SoCon Fall Academic All-Conference team.
For a complete listing of all CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-District teams, please visit www.cosida.com.