Ten Lions Named to Fall Academic All-Ivy League Team
12/3/2008 12:00:00 AM | General
NEW YORK ? Ten Columbia student-athletes have been named Academic All-Ivy League for the fall, announced today by conference officials. Soccer led the way with three women and two men. Football had three players named, while field hockey and cross country each had one player chosen.
The student-athletes honored were starters or key reserves on a varsity team with 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average.
The women's soccer team had three players represented on the team as junior Sophie Reiser, the 2008 Ivy League Player of the Year, was joined by senior co-captain Rebecca Taylor and sophomore Lauren Cooke.
Reiser, who was also the only unanimous selection to the All-Ivy League first team, broke out to register personal bests in goals (12), assists (11), and points (35) in 2008. The Seattle native ended the season on a 13-game point-scoring streak, one of the top streaks in the nation.
Taylor, who was named second team All-Ivy League, registered a career-best five wins in goal. Taylor started 12 games between the pipes for the Lions and had a 1.02 goals-against average while registering a pair of complete-game shutouts.
Cooke, who was named honorable mention All-Ivy League, started all 17 games for the Lions this season. The sophomore was a key member of a defense that allowed just 0.77 goals per game this season, which ranked second in the Ivy League.
Men's soccer was represented by junior Fredrik Kongsli, who started 13 of Columbia's 16 games. He was joined by teammate Bayo Adafin who led the Lions and ranked fifth in the Ivy League with seven goals. His biggest game was against the season's top-ranked opponent as he recorded his first-career hat trick as the Lions upset No. 6 UC Santa Barbara in September.
Cross country standout Megan Lessard was also honored by the league. The senior earned second team All-Ivy League honors after placing tenth at this year's Ivy League Cross Country Heptagonal championships, guiding the Lions to a second place finish overall. Lessard also qualified for the NCAA championships in cross country, with her performance at the 2008 Northeast Regionals.
Megan Davidson, a senior co-captain on the field hockey team, was named first team All-Ivy for the second consecutive year, and is a three-time honoree. She was a defensive force in the midfield for Columbia each of her four years, starting all 68 games of her career, and finishing the season with one goal and four assists. She was also twice named first team All-Mideast.
Football had three players receive Academic All-Ivy recognition this fall. Sophomore Alex Gross led the Ivy League in tackles with 101 and an impressive 10.1 per game, ranking 20th in the Football Championship Subdivision. He had a career-high and Ivy League-high 17 tackles vs. Penn and did not look back, leading the team in tackles in four of the final six games of the season. Senior Phillip Mitchell, a biology and pre-med major, was a key member of the Lions' defense, as he started ever game this season. Junior Lou Miller, a first team All-Ivy League honoree, was a force on the defensive line, leading the League in sacks and tackles for a loss, finishing the season ranked second in the FCS in tackles for a loss and 11th in sacks. His 19.5 tackles for a loss is the most of any Lions since Rory Wilfork finished the 1995 season with 21.
For a full list of Academic All-Ivy honorees, click here.
The student-athletes honored were starters or key reserves on a varsity team with 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average.
The women's soccer team had three players represented on the team as junior Sophie Reiser, the 2008 Ivy League Player of the Year, was joined by senior co-captain Rebecca Taylor and sophomore Lauren Cooke.
Reiser, who was also the only unanimous selection to the All-Ivy League first team, broke out to register personal bests in goals (12), assists (11), and points (35) in 2008. The Seattle native ended the season on a 13-game point-scoring streak, one of the top streaks in the nation.
Taylor, who was named second team All-Ivy League, registered a career-best five wins in goal. Taylor started 12 games between the pipes for the Lions and had a 1.02 goals-against average while registering a pair of complete-game shutouts.
Cooke, who was named honorable mention All-Ivy League, started all 17 games for the Lions this season. The sophomore was a key member of a defense that allowed just 0.77 goals per game this season, which ranked second in the Ivy League.
Men's soccer was represented by junior Fredrik Kongsli, who started 13 of Columbia's 16 games. He was joined by teammate Bayo Adafin who led the Lions and ranked fifth in the Ivy League with seven goals. His biggest game was against the season's top-ranked opponent as he recorded his first-career hat trick as the Lions upset No. 6 UC Santa Barbara in September.
Cross country standout Megan Lessard was also honored by the league. The senior earned second team All-Ivy League honors after placing tenth at this year's Ivy League Cross Country Heptagonal championships, guiding the Lions to a second place finish overall. Lessard also qualified for the NCAA championships in cross country, with her performance at the 2008 Northeast Regionals.
Megan Davidson, a senior co-captain on the field hockey team, was named first team All-Ivy for the second consecutive year, and is a three-time honoree. She was a defensive force in the midfield for Columbia each of her four years, starting all 68 games of her career, and finishing the season with one goal and four assists. She was also twice named first team All-Mideast.
Football had three players receive Academic All-Ivy recognition this fall. Sophomore Alex Gross led the Ivy League in tackles with 101 and an impressive 10.1 per game, ranking 20th in the Football Championship Subdivision. He had a career-high and Ivy League-high 17 tackles vs. Penn and did not look back, leading the team in tackles in four of the final six games of the season. Senior Phillip Mitchell, a biology and pre-med major, was a key member of the Lions' defense, as he started ever game this season. Junior Lou Miller, a first team All-Ivy League honoree, was a force on the defensive line, leading the League in sacks and tackles for a loss, finishing the season ranked second in the FCS in tackles for a loss and 11th in sacks. His 19.5 tackles for a loss is the most of any Lions since Rory Wilfork finished the 1995 season with 21.
For a full list of Academic All-Ivy honorees, click here.
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
MF
/ Field Hockey
LB
/ Football
D/M
/ Men's Soccer
Mid Distance
/ Track and Field
/ Wrestling
DE
/ Football
MF/F
/ Women's Soccer
GK
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