45 Catamounts Named Fall Academic All-SoCon

Seven Catamounts with perfect 4.0 to lead the league

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Forty-five Western Carolina student-athletes were among 411 named to the Fall 2022 Academic All-Southern Conference Team, the league office announced Thursday afternoon.

2022 Fall Academic All-Southern Conference Team

Each of the SoCon's 10 full-member institutions had at least 25 honorees representing the sports of men's and women's cross country, football, men's and women's soccer, and volleyball. Belmont, which competes as an associate member in men's soccer, had eight selections.

To be eligible for the academic all-conference team, student-athletes must carry at least a 3.3 cumulative grade-point average at the conclusion of the fall semester and were required to compete in at least one-half of their teams' competitions during the recently concluded campaign. In addition, the student-athletes must have successfully completed at least three semesters at their institutions, making true freshmen and first-year transfers ineligible for inclusion.

Thirty-one conference student-athletes have maintained perfect 4.0 cumulative GPAs with Western Carolina leading the way with seven – Julia Gardon (volleyball), Bailey Hartsough (volleyball), Nicholas Kiser (men's cross country), Sara Klemm (women's cross country) Maggie Lloyd (women's soccer) and Kate Mattison (women's cross country and Eden Punch (volleyball).

The league's 10 women's soccer teams led the way with 105 academic all-conference selections, while the nine football schools were second with 98 and the nine volleyball programs were third with 62. The 10 women's cross country teams had 54 selections, the six men's soccer teams had 50 selections and the 10 men's cross country teams followed with 42.

Western Carolina women's soccer paced Catamount athletics with 17 members on the 2022 Fall All-Academic list.

The 411 total selections and 31 perfect GPAs are the second-most selections in each category. The record of 422 total selections and 37 perfect GPAs were both set a year ago.

The SoCon has selected seasonal academic all-conference teams since 2002-03 with the fall 2003 marking the first Fall Academic All-SoCon squad. With league competition in 2020-21 occurring mostly in the second semester, the league named just one team for the academic year instead of naming fall and spring squads as usual.

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Players Mentioned

#9 Maggie Lloyd: F; 5' 4"; Junior; Kings Mountain HS

#5 Julia Gardon: OH; 5' 10"; Junior

#8 Bailey Hartsough: OH; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#17 Eden Punch: MB; 5' 10"; Junior

Nicholas Kiser: DISTANCE; Sophomore

Sara Klemm: DISTANCE; Sophomore

Kate Mattison: DISTANCE; Graduate Student

Players Mentioned

#9 Maggie Lloyd
: 5' 4"; Junior; Kings Mountain HS
: F

#5 Julia Gardon
: 5' 10"; Junior
: OH

#8 Bailey Hartsough
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: OH

#17 Eden Punch
: 5' 10"; Junior
: MB

Nicholas Kiser
: Sophomore
: DISTANCE

Sara Klemm
: Sophomore
: DISTANCE

Kate Mattison
: Graduate Student
: DISTANCE