ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA TEAM (PDF)

TOWSON, Md. – Northern Arizona junior defender Kristi Andreassen has become the first Lumberjack soccer player in program history to earn All-American honors, as she has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

After earning an All-District First Team selection in October, the exercise science major from Tempe, Ariz. was one of only 33 players nationwide to receive All-American academic honors. Idaho State's Annamarie Hoffstetter was the only other Big Sky player to receive the award, as the Bengal senior was named to the First Team.

“Kristi has always been the model student athlete; I am extremely proud of her,” women's soccer head coach Andre Luciano said. “It is a great honor for her. She represents what we want out of all of our student athletes at the university and is a fantastic role model for our current players and future athletes as well.”

“I think this award gives recognition that what you do in the classroom really does matter,” added Luciano. “She's our first All-American in any regard, so this is a pretty special honor that say's she is one of the very best student athletes in the country and a great role model for our program.”

Andreassen has a perfect 4.00 GPA in her academic career at Northern Arizona while studying exercise science. She is also one of the premier women's soccer players in the Big Sky, having earned her second-consecutive All-Big Sky First Team selection in 2009. Her five goals and two assists for 12 points was the second-highest total on the team, while her 48 shots and 25 shots on goal were also second-best. She played 1,735 minutes in 2009 and was the only Lumberjack to start every game this season.

Andreassen will be one of 10 returning starters for the Big Sky-Champion Lumberjacks when the team returns to the pitch next August.