COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Texas A&M senior midfielder Shea Groom was named to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-America ® First Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, the organization announced on Tuesday.
The Liberty, Missouri-native owns a 3.55 grade point average in Recreation, Park and Tourism Sciences. In October she became a Capital One Academic All-District 7 ® First Team selection, advancing to the national ballot for Academic All-America honors.
Groom became the third Aggie to earn Academic All-America honors and the first A&M player to ever receiver first-team recognition. Elisabeth Jones was selected to the Academic All-America Second Team in 2007 and Rachel Shipley was named a third-teamer in 2010.
Earlier in November, Groom became the first Texas A&M player to earn SEC Offensive Player of the Year recognition and she was named to the SEC Tournament All-Tournament squad after scoring the lone goal in A&M’s 1-0 win over Kentucky in the championship match.
Groom ranks third in the SEC in goals (16) and points (39) this season. She leads the conference with seven game-winning goals on the year.
For her career, Groom has appeared in 83 matches, including 78 starts. Her 107 points ranks sixth on Texas A&M’s career list and her 41 goals ranks sixth. She is one of nine active NCAA Division I players with 40 or more goals and 20 or more assists.
Groom has been honored repeatedly for her prowess on the field and in the classroom during her four years at Texas A&M. Last season, she was named to the National Soccer Coaches of Association of America (NSCAA) All-America Third Team as well as the NSCAA Scholar All-America First Team. The Liberty, Missouri native is a two-time All-SEC selection and has twice been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll.
The 2014 Capital One Academic All-America ® Women’s Soccer Teams, selected by the CoSIDA, have been released to recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Capital One has been the entitlement rights holder to CoSIDA’s Academic All-America teams programs since 2011.
To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics