Lauren Heinsch named UNI’s first-ever CSC Academic All-American in soccer

GREENWOOD, Ind. --- UNI senior soccer forward Lauren Heinsch received a prestigious academic honor on Wednesday morning as she was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America Second Team.

The award, which this year was given to 33 total student-athletes in Division I among three different teams, is among the highest academic honors for collegiate athletes. Heinsch, who finished her fifth and final season with the Panthers this season, is the first player in the 25-year history of the UNI soccer program to receive the honor.

Heinsch, a native of Mahtomedi, Minnesota, holds a 3.99 cumulative grade-point average (GPA) and is majoring in biology, chemistry and pre-professional medicine at UNI. She also earned CSC Academic All-District honors this season.

To be eligible for this honor, students must be at least a sophomore both academically and athletically, must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale and participate in at least 90% or start in at least 66% of their team's matches.

Heinsch led the 2024 Panthers with eight goals scored, plus one assist for 17 points in UNI's 25th anniversary season. The only player to earn three First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) selection in her career, Heinsch set multiple career program records in her final collegiate season, including goals scored (28), total points (65), match-winning goals (9), most matches with a point (28), shots (237), shots on goal (119), matches played (86) and matches started (86). Heinsch is also a three-time MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team selection (2022-24) and was named the league's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2022.

The Panthers finished the 2024 season with a 9-6-4 record, tying for fifth in the MVC standings after posting a 4-3-3 record in league play. UNI qualified for the MVC Tournament for the seventh time in eight seasons under head coach Bruce Erickson, falling to Illinois State in the opening round.

UNI's All-Time CSC Academic All-Americans

1974 - Paul James (Football) - First Team
1977 - Mark Enright (Men's Basketball) - Honorable Mention
1977 - Mike Kemp (Men's Basketball) - Honorable Mention
1978 - Tim Weber (Baseball) - Second Team
1980 - Owen Docktor (Football) - Second Team
1982 - Ray Storck (Men's Basketball) - Honorable Mention
1984 - Randy Kraayenbrink (Men's Basketball) - Second Team
1985 - Mary Bernhardt (Volleyball) - First Team
1986 - Mary Bernhardt (Volleyball) - First Team
1987 - Mary Bernhardt (Volleyball) - First Team
1989 - Kris Schroeder (Volleyball) - Second Team
1991 - Mike Schulte (Football) - Second Team
1992 - Gary Steffensmeier (Wrestling) - Third Team
1992 - Karen Vande Voort (Softball) - Third Team
1994 - Karen Vande Voort (Softball) - Second Team
1995 - Kate Galer (Volleyball) - Third Team
1996 - Kate Galer (Volleyball) - First Team
1998 - Jon Judisch (Track & Field) - Third Team
1999 - Brad Meester (Football) - First Team
2000 - Levente Timar (Track & Field) - Third Team
2000 - Kylie Sloan (Softball) - Third Team
2001 - Ryan Brunner (Baseball) - Third Team
2001 - Levente Timar (Track & Field) - Third Team
2002 - Travus Welsch (Baseball) - Third Team
2002 - Balaza Csillag (Track & Field/Cross Country) - Third Team
2002 - Jill Arganbright (Volleyball) - Second Team
2003 - Dirk Homewood (Track & Field/Cross Country) - First Team
2003 - Jill Arganbright (Volleyball) - First Team
2003 - Jill Arganbright (Volleyball) -First Team
2003 - Molly O'Brien (Volleyball) - Second Team
2003 - Katie Miller (Women's Basketball) - Third Team
2004 - Dirk Homewood (Track & Field/Cross Country) - Second Team
2005 - Dirk Homewood (Track & Field/Cross Country) - First Team
2006 - James Lindgren (Football) - First Team
2007 - Nick Baima (Wrestling) - Third Team
2008 - Mat Clark (Track & Field/Cross Country) - First Team
2008 - Josh Mahoney (Football) - Second Team
2009 - Mat Clark (Track & Field/Cross Country) - First Team
2009 - Ryan Grenko (Track & Field/Cross Country) - Second Team
2009- Josh Mahoney (Football) - First Team
2010 - Ben Boothby (Football) - Second Team
2011 - Ben Boothby (Football) - First Team
2011 - Jacqui Kalin (Women's Basketball) - Second Team
2013 - Jacqui Kalin (Women's Basketball) - First Team
2013 - Shelby Kintzel (Volleyball) - First Team
2013 - Macy Ubben (Volleyball) - Second Team
2015 - Holly Salzbrenner (Track & Field/Cross Country) - Third Team
2015 - Isaac Ales (Football) - Second Team
2015 - Jacob Rathmacher (Football) - First Team
2015 - Karter Schult (Football) - First Team
2016 - Karter Schult (Football) - First Team
2017 - Marcus Weymiller (Football) - Second Team
2018 - Alex Jackson (Track & Field/Cross Country) - First Team
2018 - Marcus Weymiller (Football) - First Team
2019 - Alex Jackson (Track & Field/Cross Country) - First Team
2022 - AJ Green (Men's Basketball) - Second Team
2023 - Tyrell Gordon (Wrestling) - Third Team
2024 - Lauren Heinsch (Women's Soccer) - Second Team

ABOUT COLLEGE SPORTS COMMUNICATORS
College Sports Communicators was founded in 1957 and is a 3,200+ member national association for strategic, creative and digital communicators across intercollegiate athletics in the United States and Canada.

From its founding in 1957 until the 2022 name change, the organization was known as College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The organization, which celebrated its 65th year during the 2021-22 academic year, is the second oldest management association in all of intercollegiate athletics. College Sports Communicators became an affiliated partner with NACDA
(National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics) in December of 2008.

UNI women's soccer action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Panther Soccer), X (@UNI_Soccer) and on Instagram (@unipanthersoccer). The full 2024 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.

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