Four members of The University of Akron men’s soccer program – including three-time honorees Chad Barson and David Meves – were named to the Academic All-America team by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Thursday.
Barson (3.99 GPA, Biology), who was named to the First Team for the second consecutive season, and Meves (3.77, Corporate Finance) are the first players in the history of the Zips soccer program to earn Academic All-American honors three times. Barson was a Second Team honoree as a sophomore in 2010 while Meves was named to the Second Team in 2010 and the Third Team in 2011.
Just two student-athletes at Akron had accomplished the feat prior to Barson and Meves. Mary Varga earned Academic All-American honors from CoSIDA from 2001-03 while Lynn Jutte did the same from 1992-94. Both Varga and Jutte were members of the women’s track and field team at Akron.
In all, Barson was one of three Zips to earn First Team honors this year.
He was joined by Scott Caldwell (3.94, Accounting), who was named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy Wednesday and is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, and Reinaldo Brenes (3.90, International Business), who enjoyed a breakout season with a team-leading 11 goals and a pair of assists in 2012. Caldwell was named to the First Team for the second straight year while Brenes was recognized for the first time. Meves was a Second Team honoree.
Akron’s three first-team selections respresent a program high and its four honorees overall match the most by any single team in school history. The Zips’ 2010 National Championship team also had four honorees.
The UA men’s soccer program has now garnered 19 Academic All-America honors since the 1998 season. Of that number, 11 have come in the past three seasons alone.
Barson, Brenes, Caldwell and Meves, who each earned All-Mid-American Conference First Team honors in 2012, helped lead the Zips to a record of 18-1-3 and a No. 1 national ranking in the final regular-season NSCAA poll. Meves finished his Akron career as the NCAA’s all-time leader in shutouts (54) and minutes played (8,608:53) while Caldwell, who established a career high with nine goals to go with 10 assists, was the MAC’s Player of the Year.
Akron captured its eighth consecutive MAC Regular Season Championship and its fifth MAC Tournament title in the last six years in 2012. As the No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the Zips advanced to the Round of 16 for the fifth straight season.
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 and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution.
