BUIES CREEK, N.C. –Campbell University junior defender Austin Skakle has been named to the ESPN The Magazine / Academic All-District 3 Men’s Soccer University Division second team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
A three-year starter in the Camel defense from Cary, N.C, Skakle owns a 3.71 grade-point average as a Biology-Pre-Med major and Spanish minor. He has been in the starting 11 each time during Campbell’s nine-game winning streak, including Tuesday’s victory over seventh-ranked North Carolina.
Skakle has helped lead Campbell to the best team goals-against average (0.93) and the most shutouts (7) in the Atlantic Sun Conference. He has played in 44 career games with 36 starts. Skakle is a two-time Atlantic Sun Conference All-Academic team performer. He has helped Campbell build a 17-3-4 record in A-Sun regular season games over the past three years, including an 8-0-0 mark this season.
Campbell carries an 11-5-0 overall record and an 8-0-0 ledger in the Atlantic Sun Conference into Saturday’s 7:00 p.m., kick-off in the regular season home finale against Mercer. CU will also host the A-Sun Championship tournament, Nov. 12-15 at the Eakes Atheltic Complex.
A 2006 graduate of Cary High School and Presidential Academic Scholarship recipient, Skakle was presented Campbell’s 2006 Jim McVeigh Award as the men’s soccer team’s most promising freshman. With Skakle’s selection, Campbell student-athletes have now earned Academic All-District 3 recognition in each of the last 15 years.
In addition, he has earned President’s List honors in each of his last three semesters, and Dean’s List honors once. Skakle is also a member of the Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society and the Campbell University Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
“Austin embodies what a student-athlete should be,” said Campbell head coach Doug Hess. “Not only is he the fittest guy on our team and chosen for the starting 11 every time he is healthy, but he also gets it done in the classroom.”
Skakle was one of two Atlantic Sun Conference men’s soccer players to gain academic all-district honors. Brett Parker of Belmont was selected to the Academic All-District 4 first team.
CoSIDA’s 1800 members in the United States and Canada nominate players for ESPN The Magazine / Academic All-America® recognition. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore in academic standing, have at least a 3.30 cumulative grade-point average, and be a starter or key reserve on his or her team.
CoSIDA members vote on the all-district teams; then a national panel selects the Academic All-America squads from all first-team all-district choices. District 3 includes all NCAA Division I schools in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia.
2008 ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 3 University Division Men’s Soccer Team
Selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)
Pos. Name School Cl. Hometown GPA Major
GK Jimmy Maurer South Carolina So. Lawrenceville, Ga. 3.90 Finance
MF Josh Bienenfeld Duke Jr. Huntingdon Valley, Pa. 3.94 Psychology
MF Adam Gross Charlotte Jr. Austin, TX 3.74 Business Management
MF Michael Callahan North Carolina Sr. Cary, N.C. 3.37 Economics
D Mike Gelatt Liberty Sr. Indianapolis, Ind. 3.83 Kinesiology
D Benten Kieffner Winthrop Sr. Edgewood, Ky. 3.80 Business Administration
D Tobias Nagy Georgia State Sr. Goddelsheim, Germany 3.88 Finance
D Dirk Dittrich Virginia Commonwealth Sr. Stuttgart, Germany 3.49 Business Administration
F Zack Schilawski Wake Forest Jr. Cary, N.C. 3.65 Biology
F Zak Boggs South Florida Jr. Vienna, W.Va. 4.0 Biomedical Sciences
F Sam Arthur South Carolina So. Roswell, Ga. 3.80 Business Administration
SECOND TEAM
GK Filipe Carvalho Georgia State Sr. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 3.74 Finance / Accounting
MF Francicso Aristeguieta South Florida Jr. Caracas, Venezuela 4.0 Business
MF Daniel Welsh Virginia Military Institute Jr. Evans, Ga. 3.80 Economics / Business
MF Nathaniel Baako William & Mary So. Accra, Ghana 3.68 Undeclared
MF Patrick Murray Furman Sr. Peachtree City, Ga. 3.38 Accounting
D Nick Schuermann Wofford Jr. Fort Mill, S.C. 3.76 Biology
D Will Traynor South Carolina So. St. Charles, Mo. 3.90 Sports Management
D Austin Skakle Campbell Jr. Cary, N.C. 3.71 Biology/Pre-Med
D James Gilson Virginia Tech Jr. Glenwood Lake, N.Y. 3.85 Business
F Justin Zimmer Radford Jr. Chesapeake, Va. 3.54 Sport / Health Education
F Shire Standnes Florida Atlantic Sr. Oslo, Norway 3.84 Intl. Business / Marketing
F Antonio Harley Appalachian State So. Newport News, Va. 3.59 Apparel and Textiles
Courtesy: GoCamels.com