WALTHAM, Mass. – Senior forward Katy Cross of the University of Pennsylvania and senior midfielder Jackie Sassaman of Waynesburg College (Pa.) head the 2004 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Women's Soccer Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Cross, a four-time selection as first-team All-Ivy League, was named as the Academic All-America of the Year for the university division. The Ivy League Player of the Year as a sophomore, the Claremont, Calif. resident is a two-time All-America. She set school records for career goals (50), career assists (25) and career points (125). This season, Cross was the second-leading scorer in the Ivy League with 12 goals and seven assists. She is a Psychology major with a 3.95 GPA. Sassaman, one of nine first team honorees with a perfect 4.00 GPA for their collegiate careers, was named the Academic All-America of the Year in the college division. A four-year starter who was named to the All-Presidents' Athletic Conference first-team, the Stowe, Pa. resident led her team and conference in scoring with 10 goals and 11 assists for 32 points. Sassaman is a Chemistry/Pre-Dental major at Waynesburg. The other first-team selections who have 4.00 GPAs are Chelsea Agar of LSU (Kinesiology), Holly Azevado of Arizona State (Communications), Heather Clark of Texas-El Paso (Education), Ashley Swineheart of Miami (Ohio) (Speech Communication), Libby Willrich of Drake (International Business), Sarah St. Clair of West Virginia Wesleyan (Nursing/Pre-Med), Denise Fliesser of Tusculum (Physical Education) and Missy Swindel of Indiana (Pa.) (History/Pre-Law). With the exception of Fliesser, a junior, all are seniors. There were ten other student-athletes who have perfect 4.0 GPAs or better who were named to either the second or third teams. Incredibly, the average GPA for the 22 first-team selections is 3.91, with 18 of the 22 sporting grade point averages of 3.85 or better. The University Division first team includes two repeat selections, Cross and Missouri senior midfielder Karen Bauer. Six of the first-team selections led their teams to NCAA tournament berths this fall: Swindel, Erika Bohn of Notre Dame, Karen Kotofski of Frostburg State, Sarah Wall of Ohio Wesleyan, Liz Hopkins of Chapman and Jennifer Hull of Seattle Pacific. The Academic All-America Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America; a 2,000-member organization consisted of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing 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 Division I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports. For more information about the Academic All-America Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com or email rlipe@bentley.edu.
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2004 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Women's Soccer Team (University Division)
as selected by CoSIDA
First Team
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA/Major(s) F Katy Cross * Pennsylvania Sr. Claremont, Cal. 3.95, Psychology F Ashley Swinehart % Miami University (Ohio) Sr. Worthington, Ohio 4.00, Speech Communication F Kelly Wilson Texas Sr. Odessa, Tex. 3.86, Kinesiology MF Chelsea Agar % Louisiana St. Sr. Courtenay, B.C. 4.00, Biochemistry MF Karen Bauer % Missouri Sr. Geneva, Ill. 3.90, Biology MF Lindley Beckman * Mississippi Sr. Anchorage, Ky. 3.96, Political Science D Holly Azevado Arizona State Sr. Folsom, Cal. 4.00, Communications D Heather Clark Texas El Paso Sr. Alamogordo, N.M. 4.00, Education D Clare Rustad Washington Sr. Saltspring Isl., B.C. 3.98, Biology D Libby Willrich Drake Sr. Grimes, Iowa 4.00, International Business GK Erika Bohn Notre Dame Jr. Brookfield, Conn. 3.63, Art Studio
Second Team
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA/Major(s) F Melanie Kasparek Rhode Island Jr. Trumbull, Conn. 3.97, Psychology F Jamie Perry Saint Louis Sr. St. Louis, Mo. 3.90, Marketing F Caroline Smith Kansas Jr. Edina, Minn. 3.88, Biology/Psychology MF Courtney Baines Central Florida Jr. Indialantic, Fla. 3.90, Exceptional Educ. MF Annie Schefter Notre Dame Jr. Yakima, Wash. 3.73, Pre-Professional Science MF Kristin Underwood Drake Jr. Topeka, Kan. 4.00, Advertising D Jennifer Cross SE Missouri Sr. Wildwood, Mo. 4.00, Special Education D Brooke Hartman No. Dakota St. Sr. Victoria, Minn. 3.98, Pharmacy D Gillian Hatch Virginia Sr. Whitefish Bay, Wis. 3.80, Psychology D Briana McCarty Alabama-Birm. Sr. Lawrenceville, Ga. 3.93, Psychology GK Vanessa Phillips-Bosshart Tennessee Jr. Vernon, Conn. 3.81, Exercise Science
Third Team
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA/Major(s) F Amy Cochran Vermont So. Keene, N.H. 4.00, Physics F Jen Parsons Va. Common. Sr. Portugal Cove, N.F. 3.63, Forensic Sciences F Christine Sinclair Portland Jr. Burnaby, B.C. 3.68, Life Science MF Kayla Lockaby Tennessee Sr. Hamilton, Ohio 3.40, Marketing MF Joelle Sugai Hawaii Sr. Aiea, Hawaii 3.78, Business MF Erin Walter DePaul Jr. Elk Grove, Ill. 3.90, Management D Emma Hagen Navy Sr. Annandale, Va. 3.81, Systems Engineering D Julie Jorgensen Army Jr. Manchester, N.H. 4.12, Mathematics D Kara Kornfeld Saint Louis Sr. St. Louis, Mo. 3.98, Elementary Education D Jessica Ring Wisconsin Sr. Rockford, Ill. 4.00, Legal Studies GK Sabrina Mariani # Central Conn. Sr. Quebec, Canada 3.95, Finance
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® OF THE YEAR: Katy Cross, University of Pennsylvania
* CoSIDA Academic All-American first team selection in 2003 % CoSIDA Academic All-American second team selection in 2003 # CoSIDA Academic All-American third team selection in 2003
2004 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Women's Soccer Team (College Division)
as selected by CoSIDA
First Team
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA/Major(s) F Karen Kotofski Frostburg State Sr. Glen Burnie, Md. 3.713, Early Childhood Education F Sarah St. Clair # West Virginia Wesleyan Sr. Morgantown, W.V. 4.0, Nursing/Pre–med F Sarah Wall Ohio Wesleyan Jr. Columbus, Ohio 3.77, Pre–med/Psychology MF Margot Merrill–Johnson Montana State–Billings Sr. Salt Lake City, Utah 3.88, History/Sociology MF Jackie Sassaman Waynesburg College Sr. Stowe, Pa. 4.0, Chemistry/Pre–dental MF Carrie Schrank # Univ. of Wisconsin–Stout Sr. Reedsburg, Wisc. 3.88, Graphic Design D Denise Fliesser Tusculum College Jr. London, Ont. 4.00, Physical Education D Amanda Harkins Lee University Sr. Nicholasville, Ky. 3.98, Communications D Liz Hopkins Chapman University Sr. Fullerton, Calif. 3.99, Psychology D Missy Swindel Indiana University of Pa. Sr. Toledo, Ohio 4.00, History/Pre–law GK Jennifer Hull Seattle Pacific Sr. Eugene, Ore. 3.58, Latin American Studies/
Second Team
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA/Major(s) F Mindy Erb Ohio Northern Jr. Wapakoneta, Ohio 4.00, Early Childhood Education F Heather Greenwald Rutgers–Camden Sr. West Deptford, N.J. 3.75, Psychology/Elementary Education F Sara Murray % Truman State Sr. Eden Prairie, Minn. 3.88, Health Science (Pre–med) MF Katie Egan The College of New Jersey Sr. Brick, N.J. 3.809, Health & Exercise Science MF Jessica Gross Rose–Hulman Inst. of Tech. Sr. Crown Point, Ind. 3.95, Computer Engineering MF Laura Smolinski Ohio Northern Jr. Mentor, Ohio 3.97, Accounting D Molly Bauer % Gettysburg College Sr. Camp Hill, Pa. 3.75, Political Science/Intern'l Affairs D Jessica Lamb Mercyhurst College Sr. Mentor, Ohio 4.0, Sports Marketing D Becky Salzbrenner Trinity University Sr. Albuquerque, N.M. 3.98, Biology D Kulu Yahaya Robert Morris College Sr. Accra, Ghana 3.95, Accounting GK Charlotte Felber Washington University Sr. Oak Park, Ill. 3.65, Architecture
Third Team
Pos. Name School Yr. Hometown GPA/Major(s) F Lori Boren Harding University Sr. Oak Ridge, Tenn. 3.88, Early Childhood Education F Lindsey Tiemeyer Maryville University Sr. O'Fallon, Mo. 3.718, Accounting Information Systems F Michelle Wieser Loras College Sr. Dubuque, Iowa 3.739, Sport Management MF Erin Campbell U. of Maine at Farmington So. Hampden, Maine 4.00, Elementary Education MF Sonya Hughes Franklin Pierce College Jr. Balbriggan, Ireland 3.52, Psychology MF Colleen Wirtz Denison University Jr. Westerville, Ohio 3.75, Biology D Mary Balmes St. Joseph's College Sr. Crown Point, Ind. 4.00, Mathematics D Erin Duffy Wheaton College Sr. E. Longmeadow, Mass. 3.43, Psychology (Hispanic Studies) D Martta Makila Franklin Pierce College Sr. Vantaa, Finland 3.77, Mass Communication D Michelle Sovern University of Indianapolis Jr. Manson, Ohio 4.00, Biology/English GK Chelsee Truesdell Oklahoma Christian Sr. Edmond, Okla. 3.94, Biology
ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA® OF THE YEAR: Jackie Sassaman, Waynesburg College
* CoSIDA Academic All-American first team selection in 2003 % CoSIDA Academic All-American second team selection in 2003 # CoSIDA Academic All-American third team selection in 2003