December 20, 2017

Academic All-Ohio Men  I  Academic All-Ohio Women

BLUFFTON, Ohio - The NCAA Division III recently announced the recipients of Academic All-Ohio honors for the 2017 campaign. Three Bluffton University soccer players were honored for their performance on the field and in the classroom this season.

Senior BLAKE HERSHBERGER (Canton/McKinley) was selected Second Team Academic All-Ohio, giving  Bluffton the lone honoree from the Heartland Conference. It marked the second straight year that Hershberger has been recognized by the OCSA.

Coach Kusak had this to say about Hershberger. "Blake has been a great ambassador for our program. He embodies what we are looking for in a Bluffton University Men's Soccer Player- great character, commitment towards academics, high-level playing ability, and a great willingness to be a positive impact on others. We are extremely proud of Blake for this accomplishment."

BRITTANY HUFF (Union/Northmont), from the women's side, was honored as a First Team Academic All-Ohio selection after being named Third Team Academic All-Ohio a season ago. She was joined by fellow senior Katelyn Gardella (Troy/Miami East) who was a Second Team Academic All-Ohio honoree.

To qualify for Academic All-Ohio honors a player must have started in 50 percent of the matches, be a sophomore or above academically and have a minimum GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. In addition, the player should have participated in 50 percent of the team's contests at the particular position listed and be a significant contributor to team's success.

-BEAVERS-