TOWSON, Md. – West Chester University junior defender Jessica Bennet (Littlestown, Pa./Gettysburg) has been named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Women’s Soccer Academic All-America® College Division first team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) it was announced Tuesday afternoon.
A first team All-PSAC East selection, Bennett is an Elementary Education major with a 4.00 grade-point average. A three-year starter on defense, she led the fifth-ranked Golden Rams to a 19-2-1 record and a PSAC championship this past fall. In addition to scoring five goals with two assists, the Littlestown, Pa. native contributed to a West Chester defense that posted 17 shutouts with a nation’s best 0.21 goals-against average.
Bennett becomes the first West Chester athlete to be named an Academic All-American® since women’s swimmer Tammy Leane was selected back in 2006-07 academic school year.
The 12 members of the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Women’s Soccer College Division first team have a cumulative GPA of 3.91.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
2009 ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-America ®
Women’s Soccer Team (College Division) as selected by CoSIDA
First Team
Pos. Name School Dist. Cl. Hometown GPA Major
GK Tara Carter Otterbein IV Jr. Pickerington, Ohio 4.00 Art & Art History
GK Lauren Sinnenberg Williams I Sr. Westfield, N.J. 3.88 Biology
D Jessica Bennett West Chester II Jr. Littlestown, Pa. 4.00 Elementary Education
D Jenny Knox Otterbein IV Jr. Gahanna, Ohio 4.00 Allied Health
D Jenn Paulucci Johns Hopkins II Jr. Manalapan, N.J. 3.96 Biomedical Engineering
D Natalja Stanski Grand Valley State IV Sr. Tecumseh,Ontario 4.00 Biomedical Science
M Chantal Koechli Wooster IV Sr. Greer, S.C. 3.97 Biochemistry & Molec. Biology
M Kaitlin Sanders Ohio Northern IV Sr. Kendallville, Ind. 3.96 Pharmacy
M Amy Scheffer Ithaca I Sr. Schenectady, N.Y. 3.85 Accounting
F Tassia Augusto North Alabama IV Sr. Sao Paulo, Brazil 3.67 Health, Phys. Ed. & Rec.
F Kristin Burton Armstrong Atlantic St. III Sr. Ocala, Fla. 3.68 Physical Therapy
F Taylor Hilinski Mercyhurst II Sr. Erie, Pa. 4.00 Biology Education
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America ® of the Year: Natalja Stanski, Grand Valley State
