Thursday, October 26, 2017
PORTLAND, Ore. – Not only is Seattle Pacific a tough program to compete with on the soccer pitch, they are just as tough in the classroom as the Falcons lead the way on the 2017 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer All-Academic Team.
The Falcons boast not only the two players with the top grade point averages in the league, but have four players with GPAs above a 3.95. In addition, the program boasts seven players with GPAs of 3.68 or better.
Senior midfielder Jess Cayetano and junior Andrew Ivaldi lead the way. Both players boast a 3.98 GPA for Seattle Pacific, Cayetano as a physiology major and Ivaldi as a psychology major. Cayetano has been a key part of the Falcons’ success this season with two goals and two assists in 12 matches, including 10 starts. Ivaldi has seen limited action in four matches.
The pair is joined by a pair of teammates with 3.97 GPAs. Senior Ryan Higgins has a 3.97 GPA as a business administration major and has started 11 matches this season. Junior Luke Postma is an economics major and started eight matches while playing in 12.
The four lead a total of 51 selections to the annual squad honoring the top academic performers among GNAC soccer teams. To be selected to the squad, a player must be of sophomore athletic eligibility standing or greater in their second season, be a full season rostered player on their team and have a 3.20 cumulative GPA or better at the nominating institution.
The four Falcons lead a list of nine student-athletes with GPAs of 3.80 or better. That list includes Concordia’s Alec Lohr, Montana State Billings’ Alexis Chavez and Western Washington’s Christian Rotter, Garrett Strawn and Cameron Unks.
This year’s squad also features 17 repeat selections. Eight of those are three-time selections including Concordia’s Brady Sanders, Northwest Nazarene’s Collin Raymond, Saint Martin’s Kyle Witzel, Seattle Pacific’s Cayetano, Higgins, Gabe Kellum and Julian White; and Western Washington’s Luke Olney.
Of the 51 All-Academic selections, eight were All-GNAC selections in 2016. Western Washington’s Olney and Northwest Nazarene’s Linus Mannson were first-team honorees while Montana State Billings’ Oliver Posarelli and Saint Martin’s Kyle Witzel were second-team selections.
Western Washington led all teams with 11 GNAC All-Academic selections. Seattle Pacific had 10 while Saint Martin’s had nine honorees.
GNAC 2017 MEN'S SOCCER ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM | ||||
CONCORDIA | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Andres Baeza | Pre-Nursing | So. | 3.29 | Hood River, Ore. |
Benoit Bouillant | Master’s of Business Administration | Sr. | 3.67 | La Haye-Fouassiere, France |
Brendan Laun | Biology | So. | 3.26 | Elk Grove, Calif. |
Alec Lohr | Business | Sr. | 3.97 | Nogales, Ariz. |
*+ Brady Sanders | Biology | Sr. | 3.45 | Chugiak, Alaska |
Noah Swigart | Biology | So. | 3.62 | Portland, Ore. |
Christian Thyron | Homeland Security | So. | 3.21 | Vancouver, Wash. |
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Alexis Chavez | Marketing | Sr. | 3.91 | Peoria, Ariz. |
JD Hauenstein | Finance | So. | 3.78 | Green Acres, Wash. |
Guillaume Kremer | Management | Jr. | 3.73 | Metz, France |
* Tom Lohmann | Public Relations | Sr. | 3.29 | Berlin, Germany |
Oliver Posarelli | Management | So. | 3.63 | Verona, Italy |
Victor Sanchez | Liberal Studies | Sr. | 3.21 | Portland, Ore. |
Chad Triplett | Criminal Justice | So. | 3.26 | Edmonds, Wash. |
Eli Williams | Mathematics | Sr. | 3.33 | Nine Mile Falls, Wash. |
NORTHWEST NAZARENE | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Rafael Junqueira | Financial Economics | So. | 3.43 | Sao Paulo, Brazil |
Jose Labanino-Ramos | Pre-Physical Therapy | Sr. | 3.70 | Las Vegas, Nev. |
Linus Mansson | Business Administration | So. | 3.40 | Kungsbacka, Sweden |
* Alex Mitrovic | Marketing | Jr. | 3.65 | Belgrade, Serbia |
*+ Collin Raymond | Management | Sr. | 3.30 | Galt, Calif. |
Cesar Sosa | Biology: Pre-Med | So. | 3.27 | Caldwell, Idaho |
SAINT MARTIN’S | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
* Steven Chu | Business Administration | Jr. | 3.42 | Des Moines, Wash. |
Parker Elliott | Civil Engineering | So. | 3.75 | Puyallup, Wash. |
Collin LaBranche | Business Administration | So. | 3.32 | Olympia, Wash. |
* Alexis Lopez | Business Administration | Jr. | 3.52 | Glendale, Ariz. |
Sebastian Navarro | Business Administration | So. | 3.77 | Yakima, Wash. |
Treyson Ramos | Business Administration | So. | 3.40 | Juneau, Alaska |
Dylan Shaw | Business Administration | So. | 3.73 | Meridian, Idaho |
*+ Tim Teipel | Mechanical Engineering | Jr. | 3.58 | Vancouver, Wash. |
* Kyle Witzel | Mechanical Engineering | Sr. | 3.32 | Sedro Woolley, Wash. |
SEATTLE PACIFIC | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Samuel Agyei | Engineering | So. | 3.69 | Everett, Wash. |
*+ Jess Cayetano | Physiology | Sr. | 3.98 | Portland, Ore. |
*+ Ryan Higgins | Business Administration | Sr. | 3.97 | Issaquah, Wash. |
Andrew Ivaldi | Psychology | Jr. | 3.98 | Mishawaka, Ind. |
*+ Gabe Kellum | Psychology | Sr. | 3.79 | Rennes, France |
Trevor Lee | Health & Fitness Education | So. | 3.25 | Puyallup, Wash. |
Sam Malloch | Engineering | So. | 3.37 | Portland, Ore. |
* Luke Postma | Economics | Jr. | 3.97 | Bellevue, Wash. |
Sam Rucklos | Communications | So. | 3.52 | Boise, Idaho |
*+ Julian White | Business Administration | Sr. | 3.68 | Redmond, Wash. |
WESTERN WASHINGTON | ||||
Name | Academic Major | Year | GPA | Hometown |
Taylor Allen | Kinesiology | So. | 3.27 | Russellville, Ark. |
* Jose Castillo | Kinesiology | Jr. | 3.33 | Bellevue, Wash. |
* Stephen Jinneman | Electrical Engineering | Jr. | 3.23 | Redmond, Wash. |
Jeremiah Lee | Business Administration | So. | 3.58 | Marysville, Wash. |
Nick Morgan | Business Administration | So. | 3.41 | Sammamish, Wash. |
*+ Luke Olney | Business Administration | Sr. | 3.43 | Enumclaw, Wash. |
Nick Phillips | Accounting | So. | 3.58 | Bonney Lake, Wash. |
Christian Rotter | Business Administration | So. | 3.88 | Auburn, Wash. |
Connor Seed | Manufacturing Engineering | So. | 3.30 | Snohomish, Wash. |
* Garrett Strawn | Biochemistry | Jr. | 3.84 | Sammamish, Wash. |
Cameron Unks | Energy Policy & Management | So. | 3.91 | Centennial, Colo. |
* - 2016 All-Academic Selection | + - 2015 All-Academic Selection |