Eight Women’s Soccer Players Named To Academic All-District Teams

October 30, 2008

BRISTOL, Conn. - Eight women's soccer players from the South Atlantic Conference have been named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District College Division Women's Soccer Team, which was announced Thursday.

The ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District team is selected by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). District III includes the states of Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Disctrict IV includes all colleges and universities from Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Ohio and Michigan.

Sara Geisman

Najla Bubtana

Elizabeth Jones

Nicole Ferris

Vanessa Fyffe

Abby Martin

Danielle Nickles

Newberry College

Three Newberry College women's soccer players were named to the ESPN the Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District III College Division Women's Soccer Team. Junior Sara Geisman (Middleburg Heights, Ohio) was named the First Team, while senior Najla Bubtana (Miami, Fla.) was tabbed to the Second Team and senior Elizabeth Jones was named to the Third Team.

Newberry College led the way with three selections to the District III team. Junior Sara Geisman (Middleburg Heights, Ohio) was named the First Team, while senior Najla Bubtana (Miami, Fla.) was tabbed to the Second Team and senior Elizabeth Jones was named to the Third Team.

This is the first selection for Geisman to the First Team Academic All-District. She has a 3.91 grade point average while majoring in Biology and has started every game this season for the scarlet and gray. As a defender for Newberry, Geisman and her teammates have held opponents to 1.27 goals per game, including five shutouts on the season. With the selection to the first team all-district! ! , Geisman is eligible for Academic All-American honors. That award will be announced in late November.

Bubtana has accumulated a 3.96 grade point average as a Pre-Law student majoring in Political Science. This is the first selection for Bubtana to the Second Team Academic All-District Team. During the season, she has started in fourteen games and compiled two goals.

For Jones, this is the second selection to an Academic All-District Team, as last year she was tabbed as a Second Team Academic All-District member. She has teamed with Geisman to be two of the cornerstones of the Newberry defense. Jones has started in every game of her career except for one as she has totaled 62 starts. She has also been named to several teams for her play on the field; the 2007 Second Team All-South Atlantic Conference, the 2006 First Team All-South Atlantic Conference and the Second Team DAKTRONICS All-Southeast Region.

Tusculum College

Tusculum College's Nicole Ferris and Vanessa Fyffe have been named to the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV College Division Women's Soccer Team announced officials Thursday. Ferris was named to the All-District First Team, while Fyffe garnered Third Team recognition.

Ferris now advances to the Academic All-America® ballot, which will be announced later next month.

Ferris, a 5-10 senior defender from Lebanon, Ohio, returns to the Academic All-District squad for a third straight year earning Second Team honors in 2006 and First Team accolades the last two seasons. She has a 3.87 cumulative grade point average, majoring in Sports Management.

Ferris has started in all 80 matches she has played in at Tusculum, which are fifth in school history. In 2008, she has posted a goal and five assists for her seven total points.

She was the 2007 SAC Scholar Athlete for Women's Soccer, while also earning spots on the NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division II All-Southeast Region First Team and the All-South Atlantic Conference First Team. During her career, she has led Tusculum to 61 victories and three trips to the NCAA Tournament.

Fyffe, a 5-9 junior goalkeeper from Bellbrook, Ohio, was named to Academic All-District Third Team, posting a cumulative GPA of 3.55 majoring in Sports Management. Fyffe has played 17 matches in goal, including 16 starts. She has accounted for a 1.26 goals against average, while recording 61 saves and a shutout.

The Bellbrook High School product has played in 21 matches during her Tusculum career.

Tusculum has posted a 10-7-1 record, including 4-3 in the South Atlantic Conference and is in a four-way tie for third place. The Pioneers will wrap up its regular season this Saturday when they host Lenoir-Rhyne College for a 2 p.m. match at the Niswonger Sports Complex and Pioneer Field.

Mars Hill College

Abby Martin has been selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Region second team.

Martin, a 5-7, sophomore, from Greer, S.C. (Eastside HS), leads the Lions in goals (9) assists (4) and total points (22). Martin has two match-winning goals this season and has a .667 shot percentage. In the South Atlantic Conference, Martin ranks ninth in points scored, eighth in goals scored and assists.

Wingate University

Danielle Nickles (Baltimore, Md.) is a two-year starter for the Wingate women's soccer team. This season, she has helped the Bulldog defense allow only 12 goals in 17 contests. Wingate leads the SAC with 0.71 goals allowed per match.

Thanks to the efforts of Nickles and her teammates, Wingate is 12-5 overall and 4-3 in the SAC entering the final weekend of the regular season. Nickles is a Psychology major with a 3.90 cumulative GPA.

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,129 students, offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, international study, faith development, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physical education, physician assistant studies, sport administration and the doctor of pharmacy degree.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Athletic Excellence Award for the past two years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000's with 30 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate's 39 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.

Carson-Newman College

Carson-Newman College midfielder Megan Julian has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District IV College Division Women's Soccer Third Team.

Julian, a Knoxville native (Carter High School), has accumulated a 3.89 grade point average while majoring in Exercise Science at Carson-Newman.

Julian has started in 11 of 12 matches this year for the Lady Eagles and has 2 goals, 3 assists and 7 points on the season.

Academically, she has been named to the Dean's List for six semesters and is a member of the Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society, the Alpha Chi Honors Society and Alpha Lambda Delta.

Carson-Newman is ranked third in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region. The Lady Eagles will finish the regular season this Saturday when they host conference foe Newberry as part of a soccer doubleheader with the men's team. Women's action will begin at 6 p.m., followed by men's action at 8 pm. A Lady Eagle victory will clinch the program's fourth South Atlantic Conference Championship title.