AUSTIN, Texas – Claiming top academic honors in the NCAA on Wednesday, Montana State University Billings women's soccer junior Amanda Hemmen was named a first-team academic All-American announced by the College Sports Information Directors of CoSIDA. Hemmen was one of five players nationally to win the award for the second straight season.
 
The center back from Renton, Washington, carries a perfect 4.0 grade point average while working towards her degree in biology. ""It is an incredible honor for Amanda to be selected as an Academic first team All-American for the second season in a row," said MSUB head coach Stephen Cavallo. "She has always represented our program in the most positive of light and will be greatly missed."
 
 
Hemmen became the first MSUB women's soccer player to earn first-team academic All-America last year since Jennifer Larsen won the honor in 2012. Overall, she is the sixth player in MSUB history to earn the award and the fifth to garner first-team honors. She is also the only women's soccer player in MSUB history to win the award twice.
 
MSUB Women's Soccer Academic All-Americans
Year       Player                                           Class                  Hometown             Organization        Award
2019       Amanda Hemmen                   Senior               Renton, WA            CoSIDA                   First Team
2018       Amanda Hemmen                   Junior                Renton, WA            CoSIDA                   First Team
2012       Jennifer Larsen                         Senior               Mesa, AZ                 CoSIDA                   First Team
2012       Jaucelyn Richter                        Senior               Billings, MT             NSCAA                    Third Team
2010       Samantha Boehm*                  Senior               Wilsonville, OR      NSCAA                    Third Team
2006       Ally Stroup*                               Senior               Ojai, CA                    NSCAA                    First Team
2004       Margot-Merrill-Johnson*     Senior               Salt Lake City, UT  CoSIDA                   First Team
 *-Indicates MSUB Hall of Fame Inductee

As one of the top defenders in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference, Hemmen earned second team all-conference for the first time in her career after a standout 2019 campaign. Starting every game at center back, Hemmen led the Yellowjackets with 1,499 minutes played. Hemmen contributed on offense as well with two goals and an assist for five points. Hemmen recorded 10 shot attempts with four shots on goal and was a leader of the team playing four years. She will depart MSUB just outside the top-10 for career minutes played with 5,757 with two all-conference honorable mentions and one, second team all-conference selection.
 
Hemmen earned academic all-GNAC for the third straight year this fall, and for the second time was recognized as a CoSIDA academic all-district selection.
 
"This award is the cherry on top of what has truly been a remarkable career for Amanda here at MSUB," Cavallo said. "Her GPA is just a number, however; behind that number is countless hours of studying, lab work, extra sessions with professors to make sure she did not slip our receive a grade she was not proud of."
 
 
Hemmen's 4.0 GPA is tied for the highest in the GNAC, and she was the only player from the conference to earn first team academic all-America honors. Selene Konyn of Western Oregon University joined Hemmen on the list as a third team winner. In men's soccer Travis Swallow of Seattle Pacific earned second team academic All-America and Ryan Schaefer of Western Washington took home third team academic All-America.
 
The Yellowjackets went 6-9-2 overall in 2019 and were 5-7-0 in GNAC play to finish in sixth place.