Oct. 30, 2008
ROCHESTER, Mich. - Oakland University men's soccer player Stew Givens and women's soccer player Jessica Boyle have been named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First Team, announced today by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
The selection is the second consecutive first team nod for Givens, and the second selection for Boyle, who earned second team honors as a junior.
Boyle, a senior midfielder/forward from Lake Orion, Mich., is a medical lab science major with a 3.88 grade point average. The senior leads Oakland in goals scored with eight, assists with six, and points with 22. Her two game-winning goals are also a team-best. The two-time Summit League Offensive Player of the Week has paced The Summit League's most potent offense, and leads the league in overall points, points per game (1.29), is tied for the league lead in goals, and ranks second in the league in assists. Boyle's points per game average ranks 93rd nationally, and the Golden Grizzlies' team scoring average of 2.06 goals per game ranks 44th nationally.
Givens, a junior defender from Troy, Mich., is an elementary education major with a 3.61 GPA. The junior has dished out two assists, leading the defensive effort of an OU squad that has posted an 11-4 record this season, including a 4-1 mark in league play. This season the Golden Grizzlies defense has been the stingiest in The Summit League, allowing a league-low nine goals with a 0.64 goals allowed average, while allowing a league-low 45 shots on goal. OU's eight shutouts on the season leads the league as well. The Golden Grizzlies' 0.64 goals against average ranks 12th nationally, and the team's shutout percentage of 0.57 also ranks 12th nationally.
CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District teams are selected by a district-wide vote of CoSIDA members from across District IV, which includes schools from the states of Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. Nominated athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games at the position listed on the nomination form (where applicable). No student-athlete is eligible until he/she has completed one full calendar year at his/her current institution.
With the selection of both Boyle and Givens to the Academic All-District First Team, both will be eligible for selection to the CoSIDA Academic All-America teams. The women's Academic All-America team will be announced Nov. 18, and the men's team will be announced Nov. 19.
