College Sports Information Directors of America

This week, beginning on Monday, August 6 through Thursday, August 9, CoSIDA and Capital One will be announcing the four Capital One Academic All-America® of the Year award recipients - one each from the College Division, Division III, II and I. These four top scholar-athletes are chosen from all the divisional Team Members of the Year who have been honored throughout the academic year.

Announcement schedule:
Monday, Aug. 6 - College Division winner
Tuesday, Aug. 7 - Division III winner
Wednesday, Aug. 8 - Division II winner
Thursday, Aug. 9 - Division I winner

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Capital One Academic All-America College Division release and All-Time Team Members of the Year list - PDF   

TOWSON, Md. – Lee University senior forward Jamie Achten, who led Lee’s women’s soccer team to four consecutive NAIA national championships, has been named as the 2011-12 Capital One College Division Academic All-America® of the Year, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The College Division Academic All-America® teams are comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions. Since this is the first year that CoSIDA and Capital One have named College Division Academic All-America® teams, Achten is the first scholar-athlete to earn the Capital One College Division Academic All-America® of the Year award.

A communications and marketing major with a 3.97 G.P.A., Achten helped the Lady Flames post a four-year record of 90-7-3. When Lee University beat Concordia (Ore.) in the NAIA championship game, it marked the Lady Flames’ fourth straight national championship and their 15th straight NAIA Tournament victory. Lee University is the first school ever to win four straight NAIA championships.

A senior from Franklin, Tenn., Achten was named as the NAIA Player of the Year in 2010 and 2011. A four-time NAIA All-American first team selection, she scored 22 goals with 25 assists as a senior. The NAIA leader in assists in 2011, she finished her career with 83 goals and 91 assists. Her 91 career assists set an NAIA career record.

"I'm very appreciative of this award,” said Achten, who had her number two uniform jersey retired by Lee University. “I know there are numerous very talented scholar athletes that could have just as easily received this honor. Credit goes to my team and coach who would not accept less than my best day-in and day-out. My Lord Jesus gives and takes away, and I humbly receive this knowing He is my strength to get through life. Thank you to Capital One and CoSIDA. It's an honor."

A four-time All-Southern States Athletic Conference selection, she was named as the SSAC Player of the Year twice. During her career, she led the Lady Flames to four consecutive SSAC championships.

Achten, who also earned the Dr. Paul Conn Award representing the top female student athlete at Lee University, was honored as the Tennessee Female Amateur Athlete of the Year by the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.

"This recognition is a wonderful capstone to Jamie's career,” said Coach Matt Yelton of Lee University. “She is a very special individual and the quality of who she is extends into every area of her life. She is someone that exudes excellence in all that she does."

She plans to continue her soccer career overseas.

2011-12 Capital One College Division Academic All-Americas of the Year (sport-by-sport)

Name                                                      Sport          Cl.   Hometown                  Major, G.P.A.

About Capital One

Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a financial holding company whose subsidiaries, which include Capital One, N.A., Capital One Bank (USA), N. A., and ING Bank, fsb, had $216.5 billion in deposits and $294.5 billion in total assets outstanding as of March 31, 2012. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, Capital One and ING Direct offer a broad spectrum of financial products and services to consumers, small businesses and commercial clients through a variety of channels. Capital One, N.A. has approximately 1,000 branch locations primarily in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Louisiana, Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 100 index.

Capital One, an NCAA Corporate Champion, began its affiliation with college sports with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) and ESPN’s Capital One Bowl Week. In addition, Capital One sponsors the ABC College Football Halftime Report, Capital One All-America Mascot team, Capital One Academic All-America Program, and supports all 89 NCAA Championships including the Division I Men’s and Women’s Basketball Championships, and numerous other collegiate athletics programs.

About the Capital One Academic All-America® Program

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. 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 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports. For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.

For more information, contact:

Dan O’Connell
Towson University
Academic All-America® Vice-Chair for Publicity/Communications
doconnell@towson.edu
(410) 704-3102