The award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically as well as academically. District VIII, of which Seattle U is a part, encompasses eight states (Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawai’i, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington) as well as Canada.
No. 15 men’s soccer’s Hamza Haddadi (Shoreline, Wash.) was named First Team Academic All-District® while women’s soccer’s Kiana Kraft (Kent, Wash.) and Kelly Beck (Tacoma, Wash.) were named Second Team Academic All-District®.
Haddadi currently ranks in the top 30 (No. 28) in the nation in NCAA Division I men’s soccer total goals and ranks in the top 10 in the Western Athletic Conference in both goals and points. Receiving First Team All-Conference honors in 2014, he also was named NSCAA/Continental Tire Second Team All-West Region. He received Academic All-Conference honors in 2014 and was named Seattle U’s Eddie O’Brien Male Student-Athlete of the Year following his junior campaign. Earlier this season, he tied the WAC scoring record for individual goals in a match (4) in the season-opener vs. UC Davis, scoring four goals, three on penalty kicks alone, all in the first half of a 6-0 victory. Haddadi, a management major, also excels academically with a 3.59 cumulative GPA.
Beck is a three-time WAC Player of the Week in 2015 heading into the team’s final weekend of regular season competition while Kraft was named to the 2015 Preseason All-WAC team. Beck and Kraft have been anchors in a Seattle U backline that has recorded 11 shutouts this season, including in seven of the team’s last eight games, good for No. 10 in the nation in shutout percentage. The Redhawk defensive line has allowed just two goals in the month of October as the team has scored 25 goals of their own in the same stretch. Offensively, both Kraft and Beck have scored two goals in conference play apiece, just one shy of the total number of goals the team has allowed in league competition. Academically, Kraft has a 3.89 cumulative GPA, currently earning her Masters of Professional Accounting, while Beck owns a 3.60 GPA as a nursing major.
As a First Team honoree, Haddadi moves on for Academic All-America® consideration, which will include a first, second, and third team and will be selected later this season. Last season, alum and current member of the NWSL’s Boston Breakers, Stephanie Verdoia (Salt Lake City, Utah), received the program’s highest honor and was named Academic All-American of the Year® for women’s soccer.
Both teams have a chance to clinch the Western Athletic Conference regular season title with a win this weekend, which would be the second in three years for the men and third straight for the women. This year’s graduating class for each team will be honored prior to the weekend’s matches. Women’s soccer is set to host Utah Valley on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. while men’s soccer will host Incarnate Word on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 1 p.m. Those who attend the women’s Halloween Night match in costume will receive free admission.
To be eligible for this award, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings, and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
The full list of District VIII honorees can be found at the following link: http://www.cosida.com/news/2015/10/28/AAA_Socc_All_District.aspx