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Cobbers Earn Academic Awards

Cobbers Earn Academic Awards

MOORHEAD, Minn. (10/11/17)---Concordia had a pair of teams and five individuals earn academic honors from their respective coaches’ associations.

The Cobber men’s and women’s soccer teams earned the United Soccer Coaches (formerly NSCAA) Team Academic award while softball players Betsy Asp, Gabby Gardner, Madison Little, Taylor Rasmussen and Devonie Smith all earned the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American Scholar Athlete honor.

Concordia was only one of only 210 schools in all of the 841 NCAA Division I, II and III schools to have both their men’s and women’s teams earn the Team Academic award. There were only four other MIAC schools to achieve the honor with both teams.

College Team Academic Award recipients are active members of the United Soccer Coaches College Services Program with a composite grade point of average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for all players on the roster.

United Soccer Coaches annually celebrates the academic achievements of high school and college soccer teams whose student-athletes collectively demonstrate a commitment to excellence in their studies over the course of a full school year. 

The Cobber men’s soccer team had a 3.16 team grade point average for the 2016-17 academic year. The women’s program had a team GPA of 3.59 which was the second highest of any team in the MIAC.

To be recognized as a NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete, student athletes must maintain a minimum of a 3.5 GPA throughout the single school year. It is not reflective of the student athletes cumulative GPA.

Gardner, Little and Rasmussen were seniors on the 2017 squad and graduated in the spring. Gardner majored in Health and Physical Education and carried a 3.52 cumulative GPA. Little had a 3.03 cumulative GPA while majoring in English Literature with a minor in Business while Rasmussen was an Exercise Science major and had a cumulative 3.23 GPA.

Asp was a freshman on last spring’s team and has a cumulative 3.95 GPA. She is majoring in Chemistry. Smith was a junior on the 2017 team and is a Social Work major with a cumulative 3.34 GPA.