Skelly Chosen First Team Academic All-District VIII for Second Year in a Row

By Robert McKinney, Athletics Communications Director, (503) 370-6110

SALEM, ORE. -- Willamette University senior midfielder Stephanie Skelly (Poulsbo, WA/North Kitsap HS) has been chosen First Team Capital One NCAA Division III Academic All-District VIII in women's soccer for the 2011 season. It is the second consecutive year that Skelly has been named First Team Academic All-District in voting by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Skelly is majoring in Biology at Willamette and is completing a minor in Chemistry. She entered the current semester with a 3.877 cumulative grade point average.

As a First Team Academic All-District selection, Skelly is now eligible for the Capitol One NCAA Division III Academic All-America Team, which will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

This fall, Skelly led the Bearcats and the Northwest Conference in goals and overall scoring. She produced 16 goals and earned 5 assists for 37 total points. She scored two goals in the same game six times this season. Her previous top season for scoring was 2010, when she contributed 11 goals and 22 points for the Bearcats.

During her career, Skelly scored 35 goals and added 7 assists (77 points). She achieved 10 game-winning goals, including three in each of her final three seasons as a Bearcats. She played in 75 games with 70 starts. Skelly was named First Team All-Northwest Conference in 2009 and was chosen Second Team All-NWC in 2010.

CoSIDA District VIII includes colleges and universities in the western United States. Athletes nominated for the Capitol One Academic All-District Team were starters or key reserves with cumulative GPAs of 3.3 or higher (4.0 scale). Each athlete was at her current college or university for at least one academic year.