KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Ten from the West Virginia University women's soccer team were named to the 2017 Academic All-Big 12 Soccer Team, the league office announced today.
 
The 10 honors match the Mountaineers' total from 2016 and rank No. 2 in program history.
 
Of the 10 honorees, junior defender Bianca St. Georges (exercise physiology) earned the recognition with a 4.00 grade point average (GPA). She was one of 16 from the conference to boast a 4.00 GPA.
 
St. Georges was named to the first team for the second straight season. Seven Mountaineers join her on the first team, including two-time honorees in juniors Hannah Abraham (exercise physiology), Vanessa Flores (exercise physiology) and Easther Mayi Kith (exercise physiology). First-time honorees include senior Alli Magaletta (exercise physiology), juniors Grace Cutler (multidisciplinary studies) and Patricia Fernandez (exercise physiology) and sophomore Jade Gentile (business administration).
 
Additionally, senior Michaela Abam (athletic coaching education) and junior Sh'Nia Gordon (business administration) were named to the second team.
 
"Our coaching and administrative staffs works very hard to help our Mountaineers succeed academically," Mountaineer coach Nikki Izzo-Brown said. "I'm so proud of what these student-athletes have done on the field and, most importantly, what they've done off the field. It's not easy being a student-athlete – you have to balance academic and athletic demands and find success in both areas. I'm very proud of what this group has accomplished."
 
In total, 117 student-athletes were honored by the Big 12 Conference, with 106 players named to the first team.
 
First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, while the second team selections hold a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.
 
To qualify, student-athletes must maintain a 3.00 GPA or higher either cumulative or the two previous semesters and must have participated in 20 percent of their team's scheduled contests. Freshmen and transfers are not eligible in their first year of academic residence. Senior student-athletes who have participated in a minimum of two years and meet all the criteria except percent of participation also are eligible.
 
The second-seeded Mountaineers (14-3-1, 7-1-1), the reigning Big 12 Soccer Championship winners, open the 2017 championship against No. 7-seed Texas Tech on Wednesday, Nov. 1, at 6:30 p.m. EST, at Swope Soccer Village, in Kansas City, Missouri.