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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Soccer Places Two On Academic All-America Teams
11/26/2003 | Soccer
Nov. 26, 2003
STAMFORD, Conn. - Ole Miss' Lindley Beckman and Amy Sample have been selected to the Academic All-America women's soccer teams, as announced by CoSIDA. Ole Miss is one of only three schools to place two players on the All-America first or second teams.
Beckman, a junior political science major, was honored on the first team, having carried a perfect 4.0 GPA into the fall semester. The midfielder from Anchorage, Ky., has started all but one match of her Rebel career and tallied four assists and two goals this season.
Sample, a senior elementary education major, earned All-America second team recognition. The Crestwood, Ky., native entered this year with a 3.8 GPA, and on the field, enjoyed her finest season in the Red and Blue. Sample collected eight assists, second-most in the conference, and was chosen as an All-SEC midfielder.
In addition to these two, the Ole Miss soccer team also had three more student-athletes named on the Academic All-Region VI teams. Brittany Gillespie, a senior sociology major, made the All-Region first team, while Ramey Rush, a junior psychology major from Meridian, Miss., and Kristal Menard, a junior marketing major from Crestwood, Ky., were recognized on the second team.
"I'm extremely proud of our girls," said Ole Miss head coach Steve Holeman. "It says a lot about their dedication that they can be so successful on the field as well as in the classroom."
The Academic All-America Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America; a 2,000-member organization consisted of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing 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 14,000 student-athletes in Division I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.
Ole Miss turned in its most successful season as a program in the fall. The Rebels earned their second straight NCAA Tournament berth and advanced to the second round with a opening win over Texas. With a 15-6-2 mark, Ole Miss recorded its most single-season victories and finished top four in the SEC overall for the second straight year.