November 1, 2007

CEDAR RAPIDS , IOWA . . . Nine Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) soccer student-athletes were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII College Division Soccer Teams selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and announced on Thursday.

Loras College midfielder Santiago Mejia (Cali, Colombia/Colegio Bolivar), Central College forward Cody Stoermer (Coralville, Iowa/Iowa City West), and Loras College defender Nate Minkel (Marshalltown, Iowa/Marshalltown) were named to the men's soccer Academic All-District VII College Division Team.

Cornell College midfielder Katie Ward (Greenfield Village, Colo./Cherry Creek) and Wartburg College forward Rachel Oswald (Dubuque, Iowa/Wahlert) were named to the women’s soccer Academic All-District VII College Division First Team, Wartburg College goalkeeper Rachel Coleman (Chanhassen, Minn./Minnetonka) and Central College forward Kelli Hancock (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls) were named to the Second Team, and University of Dubuque defender Ashley Bussan (Dubuque, Iowa/Senior) and Loras College forward Maria Prendergast (Rochester, Minn./Century) were named to the Third Team.

Mejia is a sophomore electromechanical engineering major with a 3.57 grade point average. Stoermer is a senior exercise science/health promotion major with a 3.48 GPA. Minkel is a sophomore accounting and economics major with a 3.90 GPA. Ward is a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major with a 3.85 GPA. Oswald is a junior business administration major with a 3.64 GPA. Coleman is a sophomore pre-pharmacy major with a 3.72 GPA. Hancock is a sophomore exercise science/athletic training major with a 3.91 GPA. Bussan is a junior accounting major with a 3.87 GPA. Prendergast is a senior sports management major with a 3.77 GPA.

Academic All-District First Team members move on to the national ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® ballot. The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® men’s soccer Team is scheduled to be announced on Monday, November 19 and the women’s soccer Team is scheduled to be announced on Tuesday, November 20.

To be eligible for selection to the Academic All-District Team, a student-athlete must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing, be a starter or key reserve and possess at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale).

District VII College Division includes NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA schools in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alberta and Saskatchewan.

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