SEWARD, Neb. – Last week the United Soccer Coaches announced the Concordia University women’s soccer program as College Women’s Team Academic Award winner for the 2016-17 academic year. Head coach Greg Henson’s team also garnered NAIA Scholar-Team status last season with a collective GPA of 3.45. Seven representatives from the team earned NAIA Scholar-Athlete accolades last fall.
United Soccer Coaches (formerly the NSCAA) announced the Team Academic Award Winners at the high school and college levels to recognize exemplary performance in the classroom during the 2016-17 academic year. A total of 837 collegiate teams (293 men, 544 women) earned the Team Academic Award, including 195 schools who had both their men's and women's programs among the recipients.
United Soccer Coaches annually celebrates the academic achievements of high school and college soccer teams whose student-athletes collectively demonstrate a commitment to excellence in their studies over the course of a full school year. College Team Academic Award recipients are active members of the United Soccer Coaches College Services Program with a composite grade point of average of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale for all players on the roster.
Concordia has become a regular winner of the United Soccer Coaches award. In addition, Henson’s program led the GPAC in NAIA Scholar-Athletes each season from 2013 through 2015. The 2013 Bulldogs topped the entire nation in Scholar-Athletes and its 3.75 GPAC was best among collegiate women’s soccer programs at all levels of competition. The 2015-16 Bulldogs were also recognized as an NAIA Scholar-Team. Its 3.61 GPA rated fifth best out of all NAIA women’s soccer programs.