2012 Men's Academic All-District |
2012 Women's Academic All-District |
Messiah's All-Time CoSIDA Academic Honors
Greenwood, IN - Messiah College was honored on Thursday with two players from each the men's and women's soccer teams named First Team Academic All-District by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Senior
Alex Brandt, junior
Alicia Frey, senior
Luke Helmuth, and junior
Joshua Wood were selected for the honor within District IV of NCAA Division III.
Each year, CoSIDA elects Academic All-District members across NCAA Division I, II, III, and "College Division." The College Division is comprised of NAIA, two-year, and Canadian student-athletes. Student-athletes are nominated by current CoSIDA members-- usually an institution's Sports Information Director-- and must carry at least 3.30 cumulative grade point average (GPA). Nominated student-athletes must also be of sophomore athletic eligibility and be significant contributors to the success of their team.
Those selected as First Team Academic All-District will be eligible for the All-American team to be selected later in the season. Since 2011, both the All-District and All-American awards have been sponsored by
Capital One.
Luke Helmuth carries a cumulative GPA of 3.64 for Messiah, majoring in Youth Minisistries while playing as a defender for the Falcons. He has been a main contributor to the Falcons 0.32 goals against average, a mark that is second-best in the nation. Though much of his work is done on the defensive side of the ball, Helmuth managed to score his first career goal this season in a
3-1 win over Gettysburg. In addition to his work on the field, Helmuth serves as the student assistant coordinator of Messiah College's sports ministry program-- A.R.O.M.A.-- which
sponsored seven trips to five different countries in 2012, with an incredible 88 student-athletes participating.
Joshua Wood is a junior midfielder and a Cross Cultural Christian Ministries major with a 3.72 cumulative GPA. In 2009, Wood burst onto the scene for Messiah with 19 goals and five assists en route to Commonwealth Rookie of the Year, First Team All-Commonwealth, and First Team All-Region honors. After two years of battling injuries, Wood has again become one of the Falcons' most dangerous offensive weapons, collecting eight goals and seven assists (23) points in 18 games this season.
Senior
Alex Brandt is an English major carrying a 3.35 cumulative GPA. Well-regarded as one of the top players in the nation, Brandt is a two-time First Team All-American and two-time First Team All-Commonwealth player-- all since transferring to Messiah after her freshman year. Brandt leads the Falcons in both goals scored (12) and assists (9) in 2012, good for 100th and 49th in the nation, respectively.
Junior
Alicia Frey currently carries a 3.82 cumulative GPA as a Mathematics/Secondary Education major for the Falcons. A midfielder, Frey has eight goals and four assists for the Falcons in 2012, two years after earned Commonwealth Rookie of the Year and First Team All-Commonwealth honors as a freshman. In her career, Frey has routinely shifted between midfield and defense, consistently contributing to Messiah's stingy defense that is currently ranked 4th in the nation with a 0.27 goals against average.
This season marks the second-consecutive year that Messiah has had four First Team All-District honorees for soccer, as
Corinne Wulf,
Kelsey Gorman,
Sam Woodworth, and
Jordan Sands were awarded in 2011. Both Wulf and Gorman were
also named Academic All-American.
