COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The No. 21 Texas A&M soccer team placed five athletes on Academic All-Big 12 teams, as announced by the conference office Tuesday.
Senior Bri Young and juniors Beth West and Nora Skelton were selected to the Academic All-Big 12 first team, while junior Mary Grace Schmidt and sophomore Rachel Lenz were named to the conference's second team. Each Aggie received the league honors based on academic excellence and athletic involvement.
West (Centennial, Colo.), Skelton (Austin, Texas) and Schmidt (Orange, Calif.) are each two-time selections to the team, while Young (Castle Pines North, Colo.) and Lenz (Round Rock, Texas) are receiving their first Academic All-Big 12 honors.
Nominated by each institution's director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the soccer academic all-league squad consisted of 70 first team members combined with 19 on the second team. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, while the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
To qualify student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two precious semesters and must have participated in 60 percent of her team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated in a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation are also eligible.
The second-seeded Aggies take on No. 7 seed Kansas at 8 p.m. today in the Big 12 Championship quarterfinals at the Blossom Soccer Stadium in San Antonio.