NOVEMBER 4, 2011
DES MOINES, Iowa - The Drake
men's soccer team earned recognition for its efforts in the classroom as a
Missouri Valley Conference-best four Bulldogs were tabbed as first team Capital
One Academic All-America All-District VI selections.
Named to the first team to remain in contention for national Academic
All-America laurels were senior midfielder Matt Kuhn (Raytown, Mo./Raytown South), senior forward Hunter Kennedy (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/Washington), sophomore defender Nick Marshall (Glen Carbon, Ill./Edwardsville)
and senior forward Thomas Ostrander
(Fort Dodge, Iowa/St. Edmond Catholic).
Kuhn, Kennedy and Ostrander were each tabbed first-team district
selections for the second time in their Drake careers, while Marshall garnered
first-team accolades for the initial time as a Bulldog.
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).
A graduate student pursuing an MBA in accounting, Kuhn maintains a perfect
4.00 grade point average. He has started all 17 games for Drake,
registering team highs in goals (9), points (22), shots (37) and game-winners
(3). The Bulldogs' all-time leader
in assists, he has contributed four assists this season. In 2009, Kuhn was selected to the
CoSIDA Academic All-America second team.
Majoring in health sciences, Kennedy owns a 3.51 GPA. Starting in all 16
contests he has appeared in for the Bulldogs, Kennedy has collected two goals,
while adding three assists.
Pursuing a master's degree in accounting, Ostrander holds a perfect 4.00
graduate school GPA after earning a 3.56 GPA in his undergraduate studies.
Starting all 17 games for Drake, Ostrander leads the team in shots (37) and
shots on goal (22), while ranking second in goals (5) and assists (4).
Marshall, who boasts a perfect 4.00 GPA majoring in health sciences, has
started all 17 games for the Bulldogs and has recorded two goals and an assist
from his defender's position.
The Bulldogs (10-6-1, 3-2 MVC) return to action on Saturday (Nov. 5)
battling Missouri State (7-7-2, 4-1 MVC) in a 7:00 p.m. tilt at the Cownie
Soccer Complex.
