North Park Student Receives National Honor

CHICAGO, IL (December 20, 2005) - Honors continue to be bestowed on Austin Person, goalie for the North Park University men's soccer team. On Tuesday, he was named Academic All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).

Person grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where he attended First Covenant Church.

I couldn't be more proud," says head coach John Born. "Of all the awards he has won this year, I view this as his greatest accomplishment."

The junior is the first North Park soccer player to ever achieve the recognition, Born says. Person earlier had been named an Academic All-Region, which is necessary to be considered nationally. At the time, Person said, "It means more to me than being named to the First Team (All-CCIW Conference) last year."

The academic honors are awarded to students who have excelled both on and off the field. The biology major earned a 3.67 GPA in the classroom, was awarded the Excellence in Chemistry scholarship, and is a member of the Tri-Beta Biology Honor Society.

While putting up big numbers in the classroom, he kept his numbers small on the field. He frustrated opposing teams throughout the season, holding them to an average of just 1.09 goals per game.

The 6-foot-5 goalie recorded eight shutouts - nearly half of the matches - on the way to an 11-6-1 season in 2005. The team won the conference championship for the second straight year and advanced to the first round of the NCAA tournament for the first time in the school's history.

Already this year, Person has been named the Most Valuable Player in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, and was picked for the First Team NSCAA America All-North Central Region team.

To read a related report on the North Park soccer team as a whole and its academic prowess, please see Soccer Team.

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