AUSTIN, Texas --- Tusculum University defender Nicole McMillen has been named to the 2018 Google Cloud NCAA Division II Academic All-America® Women's Soccer second team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
McMillen, a senior from Pickering, Ontario, Canada, has a 3.93 cumulative grade point average while majoring in business management. She is a member of the South Atlantic Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll, Tusculum Athletic Director's Honor Roll, Dean's List, President's List and the Charles Oliver Gray Honors List.
She becomes the fourth TU women's soccer player to garner Academic All-America® honors joining Denise Fliesser (2004, 2005), Nicole Ferris (2008) and Carlie Thornber (2015, 2016, 2017).
On the soccer pitch, she started in all 18 matches this season where she accounted for one goal and a team-high eight assists, which are the second-most in the league and 47th in the nation. In her collegiate career, McMillen has started in 68 matches with a goal and 12 assists for her 14 total points.
She was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District Women's Soccer team last month to go along with her Academic All-District first team honors she received as a member of the TU track & field last spring.
Following the conclusion of the 2018 women's soccer season, McMillen was entered in the SAC Cross Country Championship on Nov. 3 and finished fifth overall with a time of 22:26.2 in her first collegiate race, earning All-SAC first team honors in the process. She went to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional on Nov. 17 and placed fifth overall in a time of 22:29.19, earning her a trip to nationals and first-team All-Region status.
She finished 59th overall at the NCAA II National Championship, held last Saturday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, covering the 6,000-meter course in 23:57.7 to become the best finisher at nationals in program history. She was the second-place runner among SAC entries in the field of 266 competitors, trailing only 51st-place Lucie Noall of Queens who finished 11 seconds faster with a time of 23:46.5. McMillen was fourth among runners from the Southeast Region, behind seventh-place Leah Hanle of Mount Olive, 41st-place Heloise Duffie De Tassig of Flagler and Noall.
The TU women's soccer team posted an 8-7-3 overall record and advanced to the SAC quarterfinals as the No. 6 seed. Tusculum posted its eighth straight winning season and 20th straight year at .500 or better.
The Google Cloud Academic All-America® programs are financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2018-19 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs.
2018 Google Cloud Division II Academic All-America® Women's Soccer Team
First Team
GK - Anna Fobbe, Bemidji State
D - Julia DeVere, Seattle Pacific
D - Madison Ham, Grand Valley State
D - Amanda Hemmen, Montana State
D - Nichole Mertz, Dixie State
M - Norah Barnes, Notre Dame (Ohio)
M - Christy Grimshaw, Barry
M - Dakota Wendell, Minnesota State-Mankato
F - Abby Bohanski, Winona State
F - Maegen Doyle, Bridgeport
F - Anna Gregg, Colorado at Colorado Springs
F - Jennifer Kendall, Colorado School of Mines
Second Team
GK - Melanie Ziegner, Barry
D - Erica Brunet, Southwestern Oklahoma State
D - Ashley Franco, Minot State
D - Madeline Goodfellow, Columbus State
D - Nicole McMillen, Tusculum
M - Nicole Abbott, East Stroudsburg
M - Cliona Crammond, Goldey-Beacom
M - Bethany Sutherland, Harding
F - Molly Sharpe, Barry
F - Millie Shaw, Limestone
Third Team
GK - Jennifer Wendelius, Bridgeport
D - Caitlin deVries, West Liberty
D - Caitlin Quaempts, Florida Southern
D - Alyssa Tanigawa, Chaminade
D - Marta Turmo, Franklin Pierce
M - Gabby Evaristo, CSUSB
M - Suvi Savolainen, Valdosta State
M - Allison Verville, Maryville (Mo.)
F - Sophia Chilczuk, Seattle Pacific
F - Sandra Nabweteme, Southwestern Oklahoma State
F - Christina Stasi, Wayne State (Mich.)