Wingate’s Kerrin Sheldon, Lincoln Memorial’s Diogo Silvy Named To Academic All-America Team

Waltham, Mass. -- Wingate University junior defender Kerrin Sheldon (Moatsville, W.Va.) has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® men's soccer second team (college division), selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). Sheldon earns Academic All-America® honors for the first time in his career.

Lincoln Memorial senior midfielder Diogo Silvy (Santa Catarina, Brazil) was selected to the third team.

Earlier this month, Kerrin Sheldon earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III men's soccer first team honors. District III (college division) includes all non-NCAA Division I schools (Division II, III and NAIA) in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and North and South Carolina. Sheldon has a 3.87 GPA in his Communication Studies major.

Kerrin Sheldon

Since January 1, 2000, Wingate University has produced 20 Academic All-America® selections. Wingate entered the 2006-07 academic year ranked sixth among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000s. Sheldon gives Wingate 29 Academic All-America® selections all-time, tops in the South Atlantic Conference.

Kerrin Sheldon was named first team All-South Atlantic Conference in 2006. He was a second team All-SAC selection in 2005. During the 2006 season, Sheldon led the Bulldogs with seven goals. He was four-for-four on penalty kicks, tops on the team.

He was also named to the Daktronics All-Appalachian Region Men's Soccer second team following the 2006 season. Sheldon was second on the Wingate team with two match-winning goals. Sheldon and his defensive mates allowed only 1.78 goals per match in 2006.

"To make the Academic All-America team is truly an honor, because not only does it take into account the hard work I put in on the soccer field, but also in the classroom," Kerrin Sheldon said. "It's very satisfying to be recognized as a well-rounded individual."

Student-athletes selected for Academic All-America® honors must be a starter or important reserve with legitimate athletic credentials. He must possess at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.00 scale). He must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing and must have completed at least one full academic year at her institution. Student-athletes are nominated by their sports information directors.

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.

ESPN The Magazine - winner of the 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence - is a provocative and innovative sports publication. Full of insight, analysis, impact and wit, the oversized bi-weekly with a circulation of 1.85 million looks ahead to give fans a unique perspective on the world of sports.

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution offering students active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, faith nurturing, career development, community service and study abroad.

Wingate offers more than 37 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers pre-professional programs and graduate degrees in business, education, physical education and sport administration. In the spring of 2007, Wingate University will award its first-ever doctor of pharmacy degrees. Bulldog student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division II sports.