DELAWARE, Ohio - Adam Jensen (Missoula, Mont.) and Hans Esterhuizen (Pasco, Wash.), captains on the 2006 Seattle University men's soccer team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Division II Tournament, have earned spots on one of the ESPN The Magazine College Division Academic All-America Men's Soccer Teams, announced Monday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Jensen, majoring in biochemistry with a 3.94 grade point average, was named to the Academic All-America Second Team. Esterhuizen, presently in graduate school for business administration after earning a 3.84 grade point average as an undergrad, earned a spot on the Academic All-America Third Team. Both student-athletes were eligible for Academic All-America status after being voted First Team Academic All-District earlier in November.
Jensen, the only four-year senior for the Redhawks this season, scored two goals and earned an assist for five total points. He finished his collegiate career with 11 goals and seven assists for 29 total points, including three goals during the 2004 Division II Tournament in which Seattle won the national championship. Jensen was a three-time GNAC Academic All-Star, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-District, and earned First Team All-GNAC and Second Team Daktronics All-Region recognition this year.
After transferring from the University of Washington before the 2004 season, Esterhuizen was a presence on the Seattle backline over the past two seasons. As a Redhawk, he scored four goals and picked up one assist for nine total points. He scored in each of Seattle's victories at the NCAA Far West Regional, earning the Outstanding Defensive Player award in leading the Redhawks to their second regional title in three years. He is also a two-time Academic All-District honoree as well as a Second Team Daktronics All-Region selection.
Jensen and Esterhuizen are two of three student-athletes from the Far West Region to be named to one of the Academic All-America teams, with Brett Cook of Sonoma State also earning Third Team recognition. The two Seattle seniors are the first Redhawks to be honored as Academic All-Americans since Tafara Pulse earned Second Team Academic All-America status in women's soccer in 2003.
Founded by CoSIDA in 1952, the Academic All-America Teams program recognizes and awards our nation's premier college scholar-athletes for their ability to achieve excellence on the playing field and in the classroom. CoSIDA selects 816 student-athletes to six men's teams (soccer, football, basketball, baseball, at-large and track & field/cross country) and six women's teams (soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball, at-large and track & field/cross country) in Division I, II and III and NAIA in all NCAA championship sports.