This honor recognizes top student-athletes for both their performances on the field and in the classroom. The country is divided into eight districts and District VIII spans eight states, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, as well as Canada.
This is the first Academic All-District First Team honor for either program since reclassifying to NCAA Division I. Last season, Verdoia and alumna Renee Vandermause were named to the Second Team, the program’s first such Division I honor. The last honor for the men’s program was in 2009 when Derek Rogalsky was named to the First Team in the University Division.
Roberts has been a key part of the Seattle U men’s soccer midfield that has recorded three shutouts and is currently on a six-game unbeaten streak to remain on top of league standings. This season, he has recorded three goals, six points, and six shots, two on goal including the game-tying goals at Delaware, sending the game into overtime, and Florida Gulf-Coast, in the team’s first win of the season. Roberts is one of two representatives from the WAC, as Grand Canyon’s Kyle Ciliento was also named, and is one of two representatives from the state of Washington as UW’s Taylor Peay was also honored. He is also one of two sophomores honored on the men’s soccer First Team.
“I am really proud of Michael,” said head men’s soccer coach Pete Fewing. “He’s been excellent in the classroom and is very deserving of this award. I like the example he sets for our team as a very good student-athlete.”
Wallis was named GoSeattleU.com Featured Student-Athlete of the Week on Sept. 10, 2013, after tying the match at Purdue with a goal in the 40th minute in the team’s 2-2 draw (Sept. 8). Off the field, she participates in many areas on campus, including the Sullivan Leadership Program, which is committed to promoting personal and professional growth in alignment with the Seattle University mission. Over her career, she has recorded six goals, two assists, 14 points, 15 shots, and two game-winning goals.
Besagno, one of two captains of the 2013 squad, recently received her first Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week honor for the week of Oct. 21-27, after scoring three goals across the team’s two matches at New Mexico State and Kansas City. At UMKC on October 27, she recorded her first career two-goal match, her first game-winning goal of the season, and her first two non-penalty kick goals of 2013. Going into Senior Day, she has started all 75 career matches for the Redhawks and was named the 2013 WAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Verdoia, the other captain of the 2013 women’s soccer team, currently ranks in the top 20 in NCAA Division I total points (34), points per game (2.00), total assists (10), and assists per game (0.59), also ranking in the top 35 in total goals (12) and goals per game (0.706). In the Western Athletic Conference, Verdoia leads every recorded individual offensive category including shots (60), shots per game (3.53), points (34), points per game (2.00), goals (12), goals per game (0.71), assists (10), assists per game (0.59), and game-winning goals (5). She has also received three WAC Offensive Player of the Week honors this season and was named Preseason WAC Offensive Player of the Year.
Nearly half of the women’s soccer First Team honorees are from schools in the state of Washington as the Redhawks make up nearly one-third of the 11 First Team honorees, while Washington’s Megan Kufeld and Washington State’s Rachael Doyle were also named.
“I am extremely proud of Julia, Stephanie, and Jacqui for being named First Team Academic All-District,” said head women’s soccer coach Julie Woodward. “They continue to represent our program in the best way possible. Their commitment to this team on the field, off the field, and in the classroom is just another reflection of who they are as people and the strong work ethic and character they possess. They continue to make us a better team each and every day by striving to do their best in all areas and set a great example for the younger players in our program to strive for.”
As members of the First Team, all four advance to the Capital One Academic All-America® Team ballot where first, second, and third team All-America honorees will be selected in November.
The men’s and women’s soccer First Teams are as follows:
NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer First Team Academic All-District
| Pos. | Name (School) | Yr. | Hometown | GPA | Major |
| GK | Drew Hutchins (Stanford) | Sr. | Morrisville, Pa. | 3.38 | Science, technology, & society |
| D | Ty Conklin (Stanford) | Sr. | Scottsdale, Ariz. | 3.75 | Electrical engineering |
| D | Taylor Peay (Washington) | Sr. | Salt Lake City, Utah | 3.53 | American ethnic studies |
| D | Julian Ringhof (San Diego) | Sr. | Sexau, Germany | 3.97 | Mechanical engineering |
| D | Josh Smith (Oregon State) | Sr. | Federal Way, Wash. | 3.98 | Chemical engineering |
| D | Joe Sofia (UCLA) | Sr. | Dove Canyon, Calif. | 3.96 | Communication studies |
| M | Seth Casiple (California) | Jr. | Rocklin, Calif. | 3.43 | Anthropology |
| M | Kody Duff (San Diego St.) | Sr. | Roseville, Calif. | 3.51 | Business administration |
| M | Grady Howe (UCLA) | So. | Newport Beach, Calif. | 3.73 | Business economics |
| M | Omid Jalali (California) | Jr. | Irvine, Calif. | 3.85 | Business administration |
| M | JJ Koval (Stanford) | Sr. | Camarillo, Calif. | 3.41 | Human biology |
| M | Michael Roberts (SU) | So. | Issaquah, Wash. | 3.45 | Mechanical engineering |
| F | Kyle Ciliento (GCU) | Gr. | Phoenix, Ariz. | 3.94 | Business administration |
| F | Daniel Van Vleet (OSU) | Sr. | Tempe, Ariz. | 3.55 | Exercise & sports science |
| F | Eric Verso (Stanford) | Jr. | La Canada, Calif. | 3.33 | Management science/engineering |
| F | Reed Williams (UCLA) | Sr. | Newport Beach, Calif. | 3.52 | Business economics |
NCAA Division I Women's Soccer First Team Academic All-District
| Pos. | Name (School) | Yr. | Hometown | GPA | Major |
| GK | Megan Kufeld (Washington) | Jr. | Fremont, Calif. | 3.95 | Molecular biology |
| D | Rachael Doyle (Wash. St.) | Sr. | North Epping, Australia | 3.95 | Movement studies |
| D | Natalie Griffen (Stanford) | Sr. | Pleasanton, Calif. | 3.43 | Engineering |
| D | Kaitlyn Pavlovich (Ariz. St.) | Sr. | Gig Harbor, Wash. | 4.00 | Elementary education |
| D | Jasmine Roth (Ariz. St.) | Sr. | West Covina, Calif. | 4.00 | Biochemistry |
| M | Julia Besagno (SU) | Sr. | Maple Valley, Wash. | 3.80 | Nursing |
| M | Courtney Botelho (UNLV) | Sr. | Honolulu, Hawaii | 3.93 | Kinesiology |
| M | Ariana Cooley (Portland St.) | Jr. | Gresham, Ore. | 3.94 | Health science |
| F | Cali Farquharson (Ariz. St.) | So. | Phoenix, Ariz. | 3.90 | Elementary education |
| F | Stephanie Verdoia (SU) | Jr. | Salt Lake City, Utah | 3.98 | Political science |
| F | Jacqui Wallis (SU) | Sr. | Lake Oswego, Ore. | 4.00 | Philosophy/cell & molecular biology |