MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University men’s soccer senior defender Jack Elliott has been named to the 2016 Academic All-America First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Elliott is the first player in team history to be named to an Academic All-America team three times in his career, after earning Second Team honors in 2015 and Third Team accolades in 2014. He joins Andy Bevin (2013, 2014) and Pat Carroll (2007) as the only student-athletes in team history to earn Academic All-America First Team honors.
A Management Information Systems major with a 3.96 grade-point average, Elliott started all 16 matches for the Mountaineers and logged a team-high 1,487 minutes on the pitch while leading the WVU defense. He previously earned All-Mid-American Conference Second Team accolades this season.
"Congratulations to Jack on this tremendous honor,” WVU coach Marlon LeBlanc said. “We are very proud to have a Mountaineer named to the Academic All-America First Team because it is a testament to our program’s commitment to success both on the field and in the classroom. This honor is the pinnacle for a student-athlete in both academic & athletic success, and Jack is truly deserving of this recognition.
“The academic support team, led by our counselor Toni Oliverio, should also be recognized, as they work tirelessly to afford Jack and all our student-athletes with all the academic resources they need to achieve at the highest level.”
The prestigious academic honor is the latest in a long list of awards for the London native. He was an Academic All-America Third Team honoree in 2014 and was named to the Second Team in 2015. He has been recognized as a Distinguished Scholar-Athlete by the Mid-American Conference and has earned Academic All-MAC Team accolades. Additionally, he was named to the All-MAC Second Team in 2014 and has earned Academic All-Big 12 honors. He has been named to the Garrett Ford Academic Honor Roll, the President’s List and the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll throughout his career.
Elliott scored two goals and added an assist for WVU this season while anchoring a back line that recorded record-setting numbers. Elliott and the Mountaineers posted eight shutouts in 2016, including a shutout streak that lasted a program-record seven consecutive matches and 758 minutes.
