BOWLING GREEN, Ky. - Senior defender Ali Stahlke (Naperville, Ill.) has been named to the Capital One Academic All-America® Team as selected by CoSIDA for 2012, announced on Thursday. The honor recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Capital One has been the entitlement rights holder to CoSIDA's Academic All-America teams programs since 2011.
The Academic All-District ® teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages and are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the second year of the expanded Academic All-America® program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.
First-team Academic All-District ® honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
BUECHEL NAMED TO 2012 ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM: After scoring the game-winning goal in WKU's 1-0 win over Arkansas State in the opening round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, senior Amanda Buechel (Cincinnati, Ohio) was named to the All-Tournament Team of the 2012 tournament. It is the 18th selection to the All-Tournament Team in program history for WKU and second for Buechel. She was also named to the team in 2008 when WKU advanced to the championship game for the first time in program history.
The complete 2012 SBC Women's Soccer All-Tournament Team included: Nicole DiPerna, FIU, MF, Chelsea Leiva, FIU, F, Kim Lopez, FIU, MF, Johanna Volz, FIU, MF, Jessica Gilchrist, Middle Tennessee, GK, Amber Haggerty, North Texas, F, Kelsey Hodges, North Texas, D, Jackie Kerestine, North Texas, GK (Most Outstanding Player), Karla Pinea, North Texas, MF, Michelle Young, North Texas, F, Amanda Buechel, Western Kentucky, F
BUECHEL IN RECORD BOOKS: Amanda Buechel ended her six-year WKU tenure high atop the WKU record books. Buechel finished fourth in career goals, third in career assists, tied for second in career points and fifth in game-winning goals. Her 66 shots in 2012 is a new single-season record for the Hilltoppers. Her ten goals in 2012 are tied for the fourth most in a single season while her 24 points are tied for the fourth most in a single season.
EVENTUAL TOURNAMENT CHAMPION STILL IN WAY: WKU lost to the eventual tournament champion in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament for the second straight year and for the sixth time in the 12-year history of the program. WKU has fallen out of the tournament three times in the last five years by way of the eventual tournament champion.
150 WILL BE IN REACH FOR WKU, NEIDELL IN 2013: With WKU claiming 12 victories on the season and bringing the programs win total to 140 all-time following the 2012 season, the 150-win mark will be well within reach for the Hilltoppers and head coach Jason Neidell when the 2013 season begins in the fall.
For complete coverage of WKU Soccer, visit the official website of WKU Athletics at www.wkusports.com.
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