ESPN The Magazine’s Women’s Soccer Academic All-American Teams Named; SAC Member Schools Represented

November 22, 2005

South Atlantic Conference member schools are represented on the ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-America® Women's Soccer College Division teams. Denise Fliesser of Tusculum College has been named to the first team; Carson-Newman's Stacey Thomas, the second team; and Wingate's Heather Schlick, the third team.

Denise Fliesser, Tusculum, First Team
For the second consecutive year, Tusculum College women's soccer standout Denise Fliesser (London, Ontario) has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Women's Soccer College Division First Team. She is the first Tusculum student-athlete in school history to repeat as an Academic All-America® selection.

Fliesser was one of just 11 NCAA Division II and III student-athletes selected to the College Division All-America® First Team. The defender carries a 4.00 GPA in Physical Education.

A senior, Fliesser became the first Tusculum College student-athlete to garner First Team Academic All-America® honors when she was named to the same team a year ago. She joins former TC student-athletes Mike Calano (baseball, 2003 3rd Team), Pam Holt (women's tennis, 2002 2nd Team), Heather Rhoton (cross country, 1999 3rd Team), and Tony Swaminathan (men's soccer, 2002 2nd Team), who were also honored with Academic All-America® status.

Fliesser was a member of the Pioneer women's soccer team that advanced to the NCAA Division II Tournament in 2005. Starting all 20 matches, she helped guide the team to a 12-6-2 record, notching three goals on the season. She was named to the All-South Atlantic Conference Second Team for the second straight season.

Away from the pitch, Fliesser's accomplishments have been just as impressive. She has been selected to the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll and the Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll. Additionally, she was twice the recipient of the Duffield Award, which is presented to the top Tusculum female student-athlete for academic achievement. In 2004, Fliesser was named the SAC Women's Soccer Scholar Athlete. She has been selected ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District three times.

The ESPN Academic All-America Teams are selected by a vote of 1,800 members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). To be eligible, an athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 on a scale of 4.00. Sports information directors nominate eligible athletes from their schools who were named to district teams prior to being voted upon at the national level.

Stacey Thomas, Carson-Newman, Second Team
Carson-Newman's Stacey Thomas (Englewood, Ohio) has been named to the second team ESPN The Magazine college division women's soccer Academic All-American team, college officials announced Tuesday.

Thomas has a perfect 4.0 grade point average in Mathematics. A three-year starter for the Lady Eagles, Thomas is a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society, a member of Kappa Mu Epsilon, is a Presidential Scholar, and participates in the C-N Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is a three-time member of the Dean' List and SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll.

Thomas has helped lead the Lady Eagles to three consecutive NCAA National Tournament appearances and two trips to the NCAA Division II Final Four. This season, Thomas has played and started in every match and has an assist for the 17-4 Lady Eagles.

The Academic All-America® Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America; a 2,000-member organization consisted of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA.

Heather Schlick, Wingate University, Third Team
Waltham, Mass.----Wingate University junior defender Heather Schlick (Prior Lake, Minn.) has been named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® women's soccer third team (college division), selected by CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America). Schlick earns Academic All-America® honors for the first time in her career.

Earlier this month, Schlick earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District III women's soccer first team honors. Wingate senior Kelly Munchel (Cincinnati, Ohio) joined Schlick on the All-District III first team. District III (college division) includes all non-NCAA Division I schools (Division II, III and NAIA) in Florida, Georgia, Virginia and North and South Carolina. Schlick sports a perfect 4.00 GPA in her Spanish major.

Since January 1, 2000, Wingate University has produced 17 Academic All-America® selections. Wingate entered the 2005-06 academic year tied for sixth among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000s. Dawson gives Wingate 26 Academic All-America® selections all-time, tops in the South Atlantic Conference.

A three-year starter for the Bulldogs, Schlick has helped anchor one of the top defenses in the South Atlantic Conference. This year, Wingate allowed only 23 goals in 20 matches as the team compiled an 11-9-0 overall record. The Bulldogs were ranked in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional top 10 poll for most of the season.

Schlick has scored three career goals, one each season. She is a fixture on the Wingate University President's List and the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll. In the campus community, she serves as the Wingate University Student Government Association (SGA) Chaplain.

Schlick is the first Wingate University women's soccer student-athlete to earn EPSN The Magazine Academic All-America® honors. She was joined on the 2005 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® women's soccer teams by Denise Fliesser of Tusculum College (first team) and Stacey Thomas of Carson-Newman College (second team).

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.

ESPN The Magazine - winner of the 2003 National Magazine Award for General Excellence - is a provocative and innovative sports publication. Full of insight, analysis, impact and wit, the oversized bi-weekly with a circulation of 1.85 million looks ahead to give fans a unique perspective on the world of sports.

For more information about the Academic All-America Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com or e-mail rlipe@bentley.edu.

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution offering students active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, faith nurturing, career development and community service.

Wingate offers more than 37 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers pre-professional programs, graduate degrees in business, education and the doctor of pharmacy degree. Wingate University student-athletes compete in 17 NCAA Division II sports.