Soccer earns NSCAA academic honors
1/5/2011 8:00:00 AM | Soccer
Nichole Watkins and Jenny Pence, both seniors on the 2010 Sam Houston women's soccer team, have been named as two of the 33 student-athletes who have been selected to the 2009 National Soccer College Coaches Association of America University Women Scholar All-South honor squad.
Watkins, a Deer Park product who has earned four letters as a starting defender for the Bearkats, was a second team NSCAA All-South selection. Pence, a graduate of Kingwood High School who has become the "winningest" goalkeeper in SHSU soccer history during her four-year career, was a third team selection.
Pence also was an honorable mention selection as a junior in 2009. Watkins and Pence are the only two student-athletes from the 20 NCAA Division I universities in Texas to be named either as a first, second or third team All-South selection
The NSCCA South Region consists of NCAA Division I teams from Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina and North Carolina.
"This is a tremendous honor for Jenny and Nicole and an important award for our program," Sam Houston head soccer coach Tom Brown said. "Our program's goal is to recruit student-athletes who will be leaders both on the field and in the class room. Jenny is such a tremendous leader for our team on the field and off."
Kelsi Brown, a Bearkat freshman forward in 2010, also was recognized by selection to the NSCAA Southwest Region squad recognizing top high school players who graduated in May, 2010.
Watkins is a business major who has compiled an overall grade point average of 3.33 in her four seasons at Sam Hosuton. She is a four-year starter who earned All-Southland Conference honorable mention honors as a senior. She played on a back line that has posted 22 shutouts the past four years including five during the 2010 season. A biology major and kinesiology minor, Pence has compiled an overall grade point average of 3.88 during her four seasons as the Bearkats' goalkeeper. Pence completed her soccer career holding every Sam Houston goalkeeping record including most victories (33), shutouts (23), minutes in goal (6,571), consecutive scoreless minutes (656) and lowest goals against career average (1.49).
Both players helped lead Sam Houston to its two highest Southland Conference finishes and the league's post-season tournament the past two years.
The Sam Houston State women's soccer team is one of 327 teams competing this fall at the NCAA Division I, II and III and in the NAIA that has earned an NSCAA team academic award. To receive the honor, a soccer team must produce an overall squad grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Sam Houston State is one of five Southland Conference to be so recognized. The Bearkats squad produced a 3.17 overall grade point average in 2009.
