The University of Akron Athletics
Men's Soccer Places Four on Academic All-America Team
November 18 | Men's Soccer
University of Akron junior defender Kofi
Sarkodie, the 2010 Academic All-America of the Year, was one of
four men's soccer players named to the ESPN Academic All-America
Team Thursday, which represents the most representatives by any
single team in school history.
Sarkodie is the first student-athlete in Akron history to receive
the Academic All-America of the Year award while also becoming the
first player to be named to the Academic All-America First Team
more than once after also doing so in 2009. Also receiving honors
Thursday were sophomore defender Chad
Barson and sophomore goalkeeper David
Meves, who each landed on the Second Team, and senior
midfielder Anthony
Ampaipitakwong, who garnered third-team status.
Sarkodie, a biology major at UA with a 3.96 cumulative GPA, has
helped guide the Zips to an 18-1-1 record and a No. 3 seed for the
NCAA Tournament. He is a three-time all-conference performer and a
leader of a defensive unit that matched an NCAA record with 11
consecutive shutouts this season. Moreover, as one of the most
dynamic players in the nation, Sarkodie has been a force on the
attack as well with a career-high seven goals and five assists
entering the tournament. Four of his seven goals have been
game-winners this fall.
In 2009, Sarkodie helped Akron advance to the national
championships game and was a vital performer on a defense that was
one of the best in NCAA history. The Zips recorded 19 shutouts last
season, which represented the second highest, single-season total
in NCAA history. Akron's 0.27 Goals Against Average was the
third-best mark ever. Honored by the College Soccer News
as a 2010 Preseason All-American, Sarkodie is a candidate for the
prestigious Hermann Trophy and recorded his first career hat trick
in a 7-1 rout of Michigan last October.
Barson, Meves and Ampaipitakwong each earned Academic All-American
status for the first time Thursday. Barson, who has posted a
perfect 4.00 GPA, is a biology major; Meves owns a 3.84 GPA as a
corporate financial management major; and Ampaipitakwong, who is a
finalist for the Lowes Senior CLASS Award, boasts a 3.34 GPA as a
sport management major.
To be eligible for Academic All-American status, a student-athlete
must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative
grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached
sophomore athletic and academic standings at his current
institution and be nominated by his sports information
director.
Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic
All-America honors on more than 15,000 student-athletes in
Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship
sports.
The Zips, who won their fourth straight Mid-American Conference
Tournament title last weekend, will face the winner of Xavier at
West Virginia Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at
Lee R. Jackson Soccer Field at 4 p.m. A live broadcast of the match
will air locally on SportsRadio 1350 AM (WARF). Steve French
(play-by-play) and Simon Spelling (color) will have the call.
Tickets for the highly anticipated match are on sale now and can be
purchased online via the ticketing page on GoZips.com, on the phone at
1-888-99-AKRON (25766) or in-person at the Akron
Athletics Ticket Office at InfoCision Stadium-Summa Field (located
at 375 E. Exchange Street, near Gate 1 at the southwest corner of
the venue, at the intersection of E. Exchange and S. Union
streets), Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
UA All-Time
Academic All-Americans
1972 Wil Schwarzinger, Men's Basketball, First Team
1980 Andy Graham, Football
1984 Rose Marie Torma, Softball, Second Team
1984 Dani Vance, Softball, Second Team
1985 Tony Catlin, Men's At-Large (Tennis), First Team
1985 Linda Weber, Softball, First Team
1988 Kathleen Jordan, Softball, First Team
1992 Lynn Jutte, Women's At-Large (Track & Field), Third
Team
1993 Lynn (Jutte) Brant, Women's At-Large (Track & Field),
Second Team
1994 Lynn (Jutte) Brant, Women's At-Large (Track & Field),
Second Team
1995 Patti Godzinski, Volleyball, Second Team
1998 Justin Millard, Men's At-Large (Soccer), Second Team
1999 Justin Millard, Men's At-Large (Soccer), First Team
1999 Billy Williamson, Men's At-Large (Golf), Third Team
2000 Orjan Baneso, Men's Soccer, First Team
2001 Orjan Bjaneso, Men's Soccer, Second Team
2001 Kyle Milligan, Men's Soccer, Third Team
2001 Nate Schindewolf, Men's Basketball, Second Team
2001 Mary Varga, Women's At-Large (Track & Field), Second
Team
2002 Mary Varga, Women's Track & Field, Second Team
2003 Mary Varga, Women's Track & Field, First Team
2007 Elliot
Bradbrook, Men's Soccer, Second Team
2009 Kofi
Sarkodie, Men's Soccer, First Team
2009 Ben
Zemanski, Men's Soccer, Third Team
2010 Anthony
Ampaipitakwong, Men's Soccer, Third Team
2010 Chad
Barson, Men's Soccer, Second Team
2010 David
Meves, Men's Soccer, Second Team
2010 Kofi
Sarkodie*, Men's Soccer, First Team
*- Academic All-America of the Year
