For the second consecutive year, senior Chris Hodges () of the men’s soccer team and junior Kate Edstrom (Portland, Ore.) of the women’s soccer team have earned ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District VIII, College Division, honors in their respective sports, announced Thursday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Additionally, senior women’s soccer player Maria Madeira () received enough votes to earn a spot on the Second Team Academic All-District VIII women’s soccer team (College Division). This marks the seventh consecutive year that at least one Seattle University women’s soccer player has earned first team Academic All-District honors, while the men’s soccer team has placed at least one student-athlete on the first team in five straight seasons.
Hodges has been the mainstay in the back for the Redhawk men’s squad, helping the team clinch its eighth straight winning season with an 8-3-1 record with three matches remaining. He has been part of a defense that has allowed only nine goals, including five shutouts. Hodges has helped post a 6-2 record against Division I opposition, scoring the game-winning goal late in the match to defeat , 1-0, on Oct. 17.
Hodges has already received his bachelor's degree in finance, earning a 3.503 grade point average in the Albers School of Business and Economics. He is presently enrolled in the master of sports administration and leadership program. In 2007 he earned ESPN The Magazine First Team Academic All-District and Academic All-GNAC honors. President of the Albers Investment Club for two years, Hodges was the Albers selection as the Wall Street Journal Finance Student of the Year in 2006-07.
Edstrom has made a similar impact in the defense for the women’s soccer program, helping her team post a 9-4-3 record, all against Division I competition, for the program’s 13th straight winning campaign. The team has given up only 17 goals, including five shutouts, during the 2008 season. Edstrom also picked up an assist in ’s 2-0 victory over on Oct. 5.
A nursing major, Edstrom is presently carrying a 3.96 grade point average, tied for the highest among all of the College Division honorees. Besides earning Academic All-District honors last season, Edstrom also received second team All-Region recognition from the NSCAA and All-Academic honors from the GNAC. She has started all 57 matches for the women’s soccer team over the past three seasons.
Madeira has also started every match in the back since arriving at from the last season. She has helped the Redhawks post a 26-7-4 record since the beginning of the 2007 season and was part of the defense that tied the school record for shutouts with 13 last year. Majoring in accounting and marketing, has a 3.7 grade point average.
Edstrom and will lead the SU women against Cal State Bakersfield Friday, Oct. 31, starting at 2 p.m. at Championship Field. The next day, Hodges and his fellow seniors will be honored in Senior Day ceremonies before faces Simon Fraser in the final home match of the season, with the match scheduled to start at 2:30 p.m. at Championship Field.
Hodges and Edstrom are now eligible for Academic All-America honors, as they will appear alongside the first team honorees in the other seven districts on the national ballot to be voted on by the CoSIDA Academic All-America Committee and the CoSIDA Board of Directors. The women’s soccer Academic All-America teams will be announced on Nov. 18, with the men’s soccer teams to be released on Nov. 19.