FORT MYERS, Fla. – For her work on the field and in the classroom, FGCU women's soccer centerback
Ashley Parks earned a spot on the 2017 CoSIDA District 4 Academic First Team, as announced by the College Sports Information Directors Association (CoSIDA) Thursday afternoon.
Parks (St. Louis, Mo./Lafayette HS) becomes FGCU's fifth women's soccer honoree, following in the footsteps of Brittany Brown, Gina Petracco, Jennifer Crittenberger, and Brittany Burt.
CoSIDA Academic All-District members are recognized as the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Programs nation-wide are divided into eight districts for the first round, which is voted on by that district's sports information directors.
"This is a tremendous honor for a phenomenal person," said head coach
Jim Blankenship. "Ashley has worked hard since the moment she got to campus, fought through an injury, and came back to become a leader on this team. I couldn't be more proud of her and how well she has represented this program."
The District 4 team is made up of student-athletes from Division I institutions from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Puerto Rico and South Carolina. To be nominated, student-athletes must be at least a sophomore, a starter or important reserve and must hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or higher.
As a member of the All-District Team, Parks is now eligible for the 2017 All-America Team ballot, where first, second and third team All-America honorees will be selected in early December.
Parks maintains a 4.00 GPA as she continues her Master's program in Accounting and Taxation. A crucial piece of FGCU's backline, Parks was named the ASUN's Defensive Player of the Year and was a First Team and All-Academic Team selection for the Green and Blue. With Parks in the back, the Eagles stifled opponents, allowing only 11 goals this season through 18 matches. FGCU's .598 goals against average is good for 22nd in the country and the team's 11 shutouts through 18 matches (61.1%) stands as the 15th–best rate in the nation.
An injury forced the Missouri-native to sit out the 2015 season due to injury, but Parks bounced back to start all 20 matches last season and miss only 23 minutes for FGCU in 2017. In her latest minute of action, Parks tallied the assist on the match-winner in the ASUN Championship to send the Green and Blue to their fourth-straight NCAA Tournament.
Parks has helped captain the current FGCU side to a 14-3-1 record, an eighth-straight regular season championship, and a sixth NCAA Tournament berth in just seven seasons. FGCU returns to the site of its first NCAA victory Saturday when the Eagles take on #25 USF in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament at 1 p.m. in Tampa.
COMPLETE DISTRICT 4 FIRST TEAM ALL-DISTRICT
| Pos. |
Name |
School |
GPA |
Major |
| GK |
Mikayla Kreczowski |
South Carolina |
3.47 |
Visual Communications |
| GK |
Mikki Lewis |
Troy |
3.88 |
Psychology |
| D |
Anna Conklin |
South Carolina |
3.75 |
Sport & Entertainment Management |
| D |
Saga Fredriksson |
UCF |
3.82 |
Psychology |
| D |
Emma Koivisto |
Florida State |
3.91 |
Business-Finance |
| D |
Julie Mackin |
Clemson |
4.00 |
Nursing |
| D |
Ashley Parks |
FGCU |
4.00 |
Accounting & Taxation |
| D |
Taylor Troutman |
Auburn |
3.83 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| MF |
Jamie Brunworth |
Miami |
3.91 |
Chemistry/Psychology |
| MF |
Nicki Krejci |
USC Upstate |
3.89 |
Nursing |
| MF |
Virginia McNeill |
Samford |
3.91 |
Childhood / Special Education |
| MF |
Kylie Ruffule |
Georgia State |
4.00 |
Criminal Justice |
| MF |
Emma Welch |
Alabama |
4.00 |
Marketing |
| F |
Katie Beuerlein |
Wofford |
4.00 |
Biology |
| F |
Tiina Trusti |
South Alabama |
4.00 |
Sociology |
| F |
Hayley Younginer |
Wofford |
3.90 |
English |
FOLLOW ALONG
For constant, news, photos, videos and updates you can follow the women's soccer team on Twitter @FGCU_WSoccer, on Instagram @FGCU_WSoccer or on Facebook: Facebook.com/FGCUWSoccer. You can also find FGCU athletics on YouTube by visiting YouTube.com/FGCUEagles.
IRMA RELIEF DONATIONS
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, many individuals and families throughout Southwest Florida are still in desperate need of assistance. To aid in those relief efforts, FGCU Athletics will be collecting donations at all Eagle home games for the immediate future. Donation items most needed include: non-perishable food, clothing, household items and first-aid supplies. Additionally, those unable to attend upcoming home games can drop off donations in canisters located in the Alico Arena lobby. All donations will be given to those hardest hit in Lee and Collier counties.
COACH JIM BLANKENSHIP
A veteran of over two decades in collegiate coaching, head coach
Jim Blankenship, who was named the ASUN Coach of the Year in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015, has built FGCU women's soccer into a yearly contender in the ASUN Conference and a rising program in the South Region in just 10 seasons. Blankenship started the program in 2007 and has since guided the Eagles to 11 double-digit win seasons, culminating with ASUN Regular Season Championships in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. In 2011 and 2012 he also led the Eagles to back-to-back ASUN Tournament titles and became the first team in the history of the university to make it to the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles went on to win the 2014 ASUN Tournament and hosted the first NCAA Championship event on campus. The Eagles earned their fourth NCAA Tournament appearance with the 2015 ASUN Tournament Championship and won their first NCAA game at USF in 2015 while finishing 24th in the nation. In 2016, the Eagles made it three-consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament with a third-straight ASUN Tournament title. Blankenship has guided FGCU to a 143-50-21 (71.1 W%) overall record through the first 11 seasons of the program's existence, including a 71-11-14 (81.1 W%) mark in the ASUN. Blankenship's impressive career record of 383-121-32 (74.2 W%) over 25 seasons has come while leading FGCU, the University of Miami, Lynn University and St. Thomas University.
#FEEDFGCU
FGCU Athletics sponsors events throughout the year to benefit the FGCU Campus Food Pantry (www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry) and the Harry Chapin Food Bank (www.harrychapinfoodbank.org), FGCU Athletics' charities of choice. For more information, including how to make a contribution, please visit www.fgcu.edu/foodpantry and utilize the hashtag #FeedFGCU to help raise awareness.
