BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – Seniors Caitlin Hesse, Olivia Fitzgerald and Iris Dunn have each been named to the CoSIDA District 2 Academic All-District Team as announced by the organization on Thursday afternoon.
WKU matched Bucknell, who also collected three honorees, for the most representatives on the 11-player District 2 list; in addition, the Lady Toppers have now had at least one Academic All-District nominee in each of the last 11 seasons, a streak that began with the 2006 campaign. WKU's three selections are its most in a single season since 2013, when Nora Abolins, Torrie Lange and Chrissy Tchoula received the honors.
In addition, WKU has been honored by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) with the 2015-16 Team Academic Award, given to teams who maintain a minimum 3.0 grade point average for the entire academic year.
Owner of a 3.97 GPA in exercise science, Hesse earned the Academic All-District honor for the second consecutive season, becoming the first Lady Topper to accomplish that feat since Tchoula in 2012 and 2013. The Atlanta, Ga., native has made seven starts in 14 matches this season and ranks second on the team with three assists; Hesse's lone goal of the season came in the opener at UT Martin. The senior also owns assists on match-winning goals against the Skyhawks and UAB.
Fitzgerald is a first-time CoSIDA honoree and has put together a 3.92 GPA as a nursing major. The native of Carmel, Ind., has been the field general of a defense that has shut out 10 opponents in 17 matches this season, and she has played more minutes (1,525) than any other Lady Topper on the roster in 2016. The senior was part of WKU's stretch of six consecutive weeks with a C-USA Player of the Week, earning Defensive Player of the Week accolades on Sept. 12.
One of the most prolific scorers in WKU history, Dunn is also a first-time honoree by CoSIDA and has a 3.80 GPA in interdisciplinary studies. A starter in 16 of WKU's 17 matches this season, Dunn ranks second on the team with five goals and has 22 in her storied career on The Hill, good for the sixth-most in program history. The Tavernier, Fla., native struck for match-winning goals at Rice and against UAB and also dished out the assist on winners against Belmont and Southern Miss. Dunn also collected her second career multi-goal match with a pair of goals at Miami (Ohio).
Fitzgerald and Dunn become the 16th and 17th players in WKU history to earn either All-District or All-Region Academic honors, while Hesse is the 12th player to earn the honors more than once.
Hesse, Fitzgerald and Dunn now advance to represent WKU on the CoSIDA Academic All-America ballot. The Division I Academic All-America teams are set to be announced by the organization on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
The Lady Toppers will be back in action on Friday evening at 6 p.m. for their regular season finale against Old Dominion at the WKU Soccer Complex. The Academic All-District trio, along with Dee Dee Green, Makenzie Costner and Haley Baldridge, will be recognized in a pregame ceremony for Senior Night.
Season tickets are available online at WKUSports.com or by phone at 1-800-5-BIGRED. Tickets for the final regular season home match against Old Dominion are available.
For more information on WKU Soccer, visit WKUSports.com or follow the team via social media @WKU_Soccer on Twitter and Instagram and on Facebook at facebook.com/WKUAthletics.
2016 Division I Women's Soccer District 2 Academic All-District Team
Bethany-May Howard, Rider, Goalkeeper
Carly Black, West Virginia, Defender
Olivia Fitzgerald, WKU, Defender
Jackie Ham, Bucknell, Defender
Bianca St. Georges, West Virginia, Defender
Meghan Hegarty, Navy, Midfielder
Caitlin Hesse, WKU, Midfielder
Erin Ritzer, Robert Morris, Midfielder
Iris Dunn, WKU, Forward
Alexis Gannon, Bucknell, Forward
Kendall Ham, Bucknell, Forward
