Kansas City, Mo. – For a 19th consecutive season, defending Southern Conference Women's Soccer Champion Western Carolina was named a recipient of the 2023-24 College Team Academic Award by United Soccer Coaches earlier this week. The Catamounts were one of 246 women's soccer programs honored this year.
With a 3.75 team GPA, WCU was tied for eighth out of the 246 women's teams recognized, leading all SoCon members and finishing just ahead of UNCG. The Spartans earned a team GPA of 3.74, the tenth-best mark in the nation. The Catamounts were also the academic pride of North Carolina for the year as the Purple and Gold earned the highest team GPA in the Tar Heel state.
Led by 14-year head coach Chad Miller, the Catamount strikers received the 2023 College Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award from United Soccer Coaches. WCU was one of just six NCAA Division I programs to earn the honor. Western Carolina also had six student-athletes selected among an elite group in the NCAA Division I to land on the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team. Graduates Maggie Lloyd and Katelyn Galbraith were joined by 2024 rising seniors Sara Engen, Alexis DeMarco, and Naya Marcil, and rising junior Leanne Trudel each earned the all-district accolade.
A combined total of 422 soccer teams (176 men, 246 women) posted a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher, earning the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award for the 2023-24 academic year.
Western Carolina's scheduled exhibition against Charleston Southern (Tues., Aug. 6) has been POSTPONED due to weather-related complications from Hurricane Debby. WCU is scheduled to travel to High Point in preseason exhibition action this weekend. The regular season officially kicks off on Friday, Aug. 16 as the Catamounts head to Gainesville, Fla. to take on the Florida Gators with a 7 p.m. start. Coverage information will be made available at a later date.
Keep track of everything related to Catamount women's soccer and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (fb.com/catamountsports), Instagram (@wcu_catamounts), and Twitter (@catamounts, @Catamountsoccer).
