Thursday, November 9, 2017

PORTLAND, Ore. – Holding high standards in the classroom, the Great Northwest Athletic Conference is represented by four players on the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 Men’s Soccer Team.

Of the four Seattle Pacific players selected for the 2017 GNAC All-Academic team, three seniors have received all-district honors. Falcons’ forward Gabe Kellum, midfielder Jess Cayetano and defender Ryan Higgins represent SPU while Western Washington is represented by junior midfielder Garrett Strawn.

Second Team All-GNAC selections this season, Kellum and Cayetano played important roles in the Falcons’ second-place finish. On two occasions, Kellum was named the GNAC Offensive Player of the Week, netting a team-high seven goals and eight assists this season. His 23 points were best for fifth in the league. The SPU forward boasts a 3.79 GPA as a psychology major.

Cayetano, a physiology major earning a 3.98 GPA, played significant minutes for the Falcons and started in all but three contests. The midfielder was second on the team with six assists, adding three goals. Higgins rounds out the Seattle Pacific selections with a 3.97 GPA. A business administration major, Higgins played significant minutes for a Falcons team that was just three points shy of its third GNAC title in four years. Higgins started in all but one of his 15 appearances, tallying a goal and an assist this season.

The trio is joined by Strawn, who saw action in 13 matches (11 starts) for the Vikings. With a goal and three assists to his name, the junior owns a 3.84 GPA as a biochemistry major. Strawn was an integral part to the Vikings’ midfield this season, as he started in just six contests during his sophomore campaign.

The GNAC competed with the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and Pacific West conferences for selections to the NCAA Division II District 8 All-Academic First Team.

Nominated and voted upon by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the Academic All-District program recognizes student-athletes of sophomore standing or better who are starters or significant reserves for their team with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or better. Academic All-District selections will be forwarded for Academic All-American Team consideration, released on Dec. 6.