AUSTIN, Texas --- Tusculum College's Carlie Thornber has been named to the NCAA Division II Academic All-America® Women's Soccer first team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Thornber, a junior defender from Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, returns to the Academic All-America® squad after earning third team honors last season. She also becomes only the second two-time Academic All-American® in school history, joining Denise Fliesser who garnered first team honors in 2004 and again in 2005.
Thornber has a perfect 4.00 grade-point average as a pre-medicine major. She is a member of the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll, Athletic Director's Honor, Dean's List, President's List and Charles Oliver Gray Honors List. She was the 2014 recipient of the Tusculum Freshman of the Year Academic Award and was a 2015 Tusculum Student-Athlete Academic Achievement Award honoree.
The 2016 All-South Atlantic Conference first team selection started in 15 matches this season for the Pioneers, scoring three goals, all match-winners. Her biggest goal of the season came against King when she notched the tiebreaking tally with 3.9 seconds left in a 2-1 Tusculum victory. She also scored the first goals in a 2-0 win at Lincoln Memorial and a 2-0 victory over Catawba that clinched a share of the 2016 South Atlantic Conference Championship.
Thornber is a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District selection and is a three-year starter for the Pioneers while tallying eight goals in 53 matches.
Tusculum ended the season with a 10-5-3 record, including 8-2-1 in league play to capture the program its fifth South Atlantic Conference title. TC was eliminated by Anderson on penalty kicks in the SAC quarterfinal.
The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2016-17 Division II Academic All-America® teams program.
2016 CoSIDA NCAA II Academic All-America® Women's Soccer Team
First Team
GK – Maylyn Parsons, Columbus State
D – Clare Carlson, Grand Valley State
D – Anna Fink, Missouri S&T
D – Courtney Kozak, Ohio Dominican
D – Carlie Thornber, Tusculum
M – Kaitlyn Brunworth, Wingate
M – Sara Helgadottir, West Florida
M – Maria Marti Bartis, Clayton State
F – Nicole Corcione, Columbus State
F – Gabriella Mencotti, Grand Valley State
F – Sarah Stram, Bemidji State
Second Team
GK – Katie Mattingly, Truman State
D – Megan Block, Rollins
D – Jessica Brown, Ashland
D – Andrea Polanco, East Stroudsburg
D – Emily Vogler, West Florida
M – Kiera Bocchino, UC San Diego
M – Kristin Wolff, Rockhurst
M – Nicola Worthington, Bridgeport
F – Anna Bondy, Northern State
F – Jules Herrity, Carson-Newman
F – Darian McCloy, Dixie State
Third Team
GK – Jordan Woodruff, Northeastern State
D – Taylor Gersch, Saint Martin's
D – Hannah Gombos, East Stroudsburg
D – Kate O'Gara, Lubbock Christian
D – Drew Ribadeneyra, Pace
M – Samantha Collin, Rollins
M – Lindsey Dias, Chico State
M – Mackenzie Fuller, Lewis
F – Elise Aylward, Western Washington
F – Deanna Rudasill, East Central
F – Caroline Staudle, Southern Connecticut State
CoSIDA Academic All-America® of the Year
Maylyn Parsons, Columbus State
