BEREA, OHIO -- Four Baldwin-Wallace College soccer student-athletes, two men and two women, have been named to the ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-District IV soccer teams. The teams are selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The four Yellow Jackets are senior goalie Russ Mika (Medina/ Senior) and junior midfielder Jeff Grater (Stow/ Stow-Munroe Falls) of the men's team and senior sweeper Stephanie Geiger (Berea) and senior defender Tyler Fridley (Niles/ McKinley) of the women's squad.
"We are extremely proud of Russ, Jeff, Stephanie and Tyler making the ESPN THE MAGAZINE team," said eighth-year Head Coach Reid Ayers. "Each one is a fine person and a leader in the classroom and on the soccer field. They are emblematic of the Division III student-athlete philosophy and represent Baldwin Wallace University and its soccer program with distinction."
Mika was a first-team selection and Grater, Geiger and Fridley were all named to the second-team. By virtue of his first-team selection, Mika now advances to the national CoSIDA Academic All-America ballot for the second straight year. In addition, Mika, Geiger and Fridley are repeat Academic All-District IV choices and Grater is making his first appearance on the team.
Mika, a business administration and finance major with a 3.68 grade point average, is a first-team selection for the second straight year. The 2008 Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference pick is a three-year starter and is having his best season as a collegian. This season, Mika has helped B-W to an 11-6-1 overall record, including an 11-1-1 slate in its last 13 matches. On October 12, he was named as the OAC Men's Soccer Player of the Week for posting back-to-back shutouts against Heidelberg University and against Otterbein College. He is allowing 0.95 goals per game with 67 saves and six individual and eight total shutouts. During his career, Mika has played in 48 matches and compiled a 26-13-5 record with 12 individual and 18 overall shutouts while allowing 1.15 goals per game with 189 saves.
Geiger is making her third straight appearance on the ESPN THE MAGAZINE Academic All-District IV squad and is one of the best sweepers in the OAC, in Ohio and in the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Region. The four-year starter, who carries a 3.64 grade point average in criminal justice and chemistry, is a two-time All-OAC first-team pick and a 2008 NSCAA third-team All-Region player.
This season, Geiger tops the Yellow Jackets in scoring with five goals and one assist for 11 points despite spending a majority of her time on defense. On Oct. 5, she was named as the OAC Women's Soccer Player of the Week for her efforts in wins against Mount Union College and St. Vincent (Pa.) College. Geiger also leads the team in total shots attempted with 36 and shots on goal with 21. For her career, she has played in 75 contests, has scored 12 goals and asssited on three others for 27 total points with six game-winners.
Fridley is making her second straight appearance on the All-District IV team. The communications and public relations major is a four-year starter on defense and has been a key to B-W having recorded 20 shutouts the past four seasons. She also earned Academic All-OAC accolades a year ago.
Grater, who carries a 3.88 grade point average in business and finance, is making his first appearance on the honor squad. The two-year starter transferred to B-W after spending his freshman season at Calvin (Mich.) College. In his two seasons at B-W, Grater has played in 37 matches and has five goals and three assists for 13 points. This season, he is fourth on the team in scoring with three goals and two assists for eight points.
Baldwin-Wallace College has a rich tradition of excellence in the classroom and on the athletic areas with 78 student-athletes having been chosen as Academic All-Americans since the programs inception in 1972. The 78 total Academic All-Americans is the most of any OAC school and the second most of any small college or university in Ohio.
FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327 and e-mail atkruple@bw.edu or Asst. SID Jeff Miller by phone at 440-826-2780 and email at jefmille@bw.edu Fans can access BW athletics information at www.BWyellowjackets.com and we invite you to join us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/bwyellowjackets and Twitter athttp://twitter.com/bwathletics.
