Manhattan's Skonieczny & Rider's Ballay Earn CoSIDA Academic All-America Honors
MAAC Sports
Manhattan College senior Kristen Skonieczny (Lagrangeville, NY / Arlington) has been named to the Academic All-America® Women's Soccer Second Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
"Kristen has been the highest example of how a student athlete should conduct themselves on and off the field." said head coach Brendan Lawler. "Her personal work ethic and drive to lead her teammates to constantly be their best is a major reason for the improvement of our program during her time here. We could not be more proud for her personally and of the way she has always represented the Manhattan College community. Being voted an Academic All American is an honor very few receive and I could not imagine someone more deserving."
Skonieczny, who was one of 33 Division I athletes honored, was eligible after being tabbed to the CoSIDA All-District First Team last month.
A biology major, Skonieczny carries a 3.94 cumulative GPA and was one of 22 members of the three teams to sport at least a 3.9 average.
Also a standout on the field, Skonieczny earned MAAC Goalkeeper of the Year and First Team All-League honors after a senior season that saw her set school-records for wins (10) and shuouts (9) while also leading the MAAC with a .875 save percentage and a 0.70 GAA.
Additionally, Skonieczny led Manhattan its first-ever MAAC Championship game appearance and a school-record 21 points during regular season play. She also rewrote the career record book, finishing with a program-high 24 wins and 17 shutouts to go along with a 1.02 GAA that is the lowest in school history.
Washington senior goalkeeper Megan Kufeld was named the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America® of the Year.
Skonieczny's recognition marks the second-straight year a Jasper has been recognized as her former high school teammate Aislinn McIlvenny notched Third Team honors a season ago.
Senior Tara Ballay of the Rider University women’s soccer team was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team.
“It is great to see Tara to be honored as an Academic All-American for the second consecutive year,” said Rider head coach Drayson Hounsome. "She has been a wonderful part of our soccer family for the last four years and is deserving of this recognition for all the hard work she has put into her collegiate career on and off the field.”
Ballay (Delran, NJ/Delran High School) was a Second Team Academic All-American last year, in addition to earning All-East, ECAC All-Star and MAAC Player of the Year honors, leading Rider to the 2014 MAAC Championship and the NCAA Tournament.
This year Ballay led the Broncs to the MAAC semifinals after being named the Preseason MAAC Player of the Year.
In her Rider career Ballay played in 53 games and Rider had a record of 31-15-7 in those games. The former MAAC Rookie of the Year, Ballay ranks sixth in both career goals (20) and career points (45) at Rider.
In the classroom the Psychology major owns a 3.9 grade point average.
“Bloomsburg University has an excellent addition to their coaching staff next year and I know she will be equally successful as she moves into the next stage of her academic and soccer career," Hounsome said.
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 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 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.