Dec. 2, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The University of South Carolina was one of only 98 schools in the nation to have both its men’s and women’s soccer programs earn the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award for the 2008-09 season.

Programs with a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher for the 2008-09 academic year are recognized as NSCAA Team Academic Award recipients. The Gamecock men’s soccer team posted a team GPA of 3.23, and the women’s team posted a team GPA of 3.25 to earn the national honor.

Mark Berson’s men’s program had 24 student-athletes selected to the Conference USA Academic Honor Roll in 2008-09, headlined by six players who earned the Commissioner’s Academic Medal for achieving a 3.75 cumulative GPA or higher throughout their careers. In addition, Sam Arthur was named a Second Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American last season to become the first men’s player to earn the award since 2005.

Shelley Smith’s women’s program had 20 student-athletes selected to the SEC Academic Honor Roll in 2008-09 and earned the NSCAA honor for the eighth time in her tenure as head coach of the program. Blakely Mattern was named a First Team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American last season, marking the fourth consecutive year that Smith’s program had a player earn the honor.