Kalamazoo's Christina Dandar and Olivet's Isabelle Leon added elite academic and athletic honors to their career achievements Tuesday as both were named First Team Academic All-Americans by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Both Dandar and Leon were Third Team Academic All-American selections last year as juniors. The honors also mark the first time in MIAA history that two women's soccer players garnered First Team Academic All-America accolades since CoSIDA began their Women's Soccer Academic All-America teams in 2001.

Dandar, a senior captain from Warren Township, holds a 3.99 GPA as a psychology major and has been involved in psychology research projects at K. Dandar's consistency and excellence extend from the classroom to the field where she was a starter in the Kalamazoo College defense for 75 of the 77 games she played in her career. This season she recorded two goals and two assists to bring her career point total to 16.

Leon, the 2017 MIAA Most Valuable Player, carries a 3.94 grade point average in criminal justice. Off the soccer field, she is the secretary for the criminal justice honors society and vice president for Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Leonhas been named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll three times. On the soccer pitch, Leon started all 21 games this season. She led the Comets in every statistical category with 17 goals, 11 assists, 45 points, and six game-winning goals. 

Student-athletes must have sophomore academic standing at their institutions and have a cumulative grade-point average at 3.30 or higher and been a first-team academic all-district selection to move onto the national ballot.

2017 CoSIDA Women's Soccer Academic All-America teams - NCAA Division III

MIAA Student-Athletes Honored by CoSIDA

Kalamazoo: Christina Dandar - Kalamazoo story link 

Olivet: Isabelle Leon - Olivet story link

--MIAA--