Kansas University junior forward Caroline Smith led the Jayhawks in scoring en route to a Big 12 Conference title during the 2004 soccer season.
Tuesday, she was rewarded for her grades, earning a spot on the Academic All-America second team.
Smith, a native of Edina, Minn., led KU in goals (11), assists (10) and points while maintaining a 3.88 grade-point average as a biology and psychology major. She plans to attend medical school.
“It is an honor to be recognized for my hard work in the classroom as well as on the field,” Smith said. “It is also a tribute to how far we have come as a team for us to be receiving this type of national attention.”
The All-America teams were selected by CoSida and include only two other Big 12 athletes: Kelly Wilson of Texas and Karen Bauer of Missouri. Both Bauer and Wilson were named to the Academic All-America first teams. However, while Bauer carries a 3.90 GPA, Wilson’s is 3.86 — lower than Smith’s.
After just three season at KU, Smith is the school’s all-time leader in most offensive categories, including goals (42) and points (100).
“It is a great honor for her, and it reflects her work ethic in both the classroom and on the soccer field,” KU coach Mark Francis said. “Obviously, she has done a great job in both, and we are very proud of her. She does a great job of being a good reflection of the entire program.”
