KANSAS CITY, Mo. – For the second consecutive year the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's soccer team has received the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award, as announced by United Soccer Coaches on Thursday.

For a team to be considered for the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award, it must have a composite team grade point average of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) for all team members who appear on the official NCAA, NAIA, NCCAA or junior college roster forms for the fall season.

The 2019 UCCS women's soccer team surpassed the 3.0 GPA minimum by boasting a 3.46 GPA for the 2019-20 academic year. The Mountain Lions accounted for numerous individual awards including senior defender Aleesa Muir who became just the second student-athlete in the history of the program to earn College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) Academic All-America honors, as she was also voted a United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American First Team selection with a 3.95 GPA in Biological and Biomedical Sciences. Fellow defender Caitlin Esterle joined Muir on the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America team as she earned second team honors with a 3.58 GPA in Exercise Science. Additionally, 10 Mountain Lions earned both Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) Academic Achievement Awards, as well as Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) All-Academic honors with RMAC Summit Award winner Ella Fischer being named to the conference all-academic first team in company with Muir.

The Team Academic Award was created to recognize student athletes' commitment to excellence in the classroom. To be eligible for the College Team Academic Award, the nominated program must be a current member of United Soccer Coaches College Services.  

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