DEKALB, Ill. – Six members of the Northern Illinois University women’s soccer were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, announced by the organization on Tuesday (Nov. 15). Abby McHugh (Wauconda, Ill./Wauconda), Kierah Meier (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore), Claudia Muessig (Paw Paw, Mich./Paw Paw), Amara Thompkins (Racine, Wis./Indian Trail), Jamie Ward (Cherry Valley, Ill./Rockford East) and Abby Zipse (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) were named to the Academic All-District Team.
McHugh is a physical education major with a 3.90 grade point average. She played in 16 matches in 2022, starting all 16, and tallied goals against Akron (Oct. 9) and Kent State (Oct. 16).
Meier has a 3.81 grade point average while majoring in rehabilitation and disability services. During the 2022 campaign, Meier scored the game-winning goal against Toledo (Sept. 25) while appearing in 15 matches, making seven starts.
Muessig, a business administration major with a 3.74 grade point average, tied for the team lead with four goals and 10 points in 2022. She scored game-winning goals against Chicago State (Sept. 18) and Central Michigan (Oct. 2).
Thompkins majors in environmental studies with a 3.87 grade point average. She appeared in all 18 matches, making 12 starts, during the 2022 season.
Ward is a communicative disorders major with a 4.0 grade point average and saw action in all 18 games, making five starts. She scored her first career goal in a win over Central Michigan (Oct. 2) and also tallied three assists this season.
Zipse, a psychology major with a 3.92 grade point average, was one of three Huskies to start all 18 matches during the 2022 season. She recorded an assist in a 2-1 victory over Eastern Illinois on Sept. 4.
To be eligible for Academic All-District honors, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.50 grade point average and have played in 50 percent of the contests for the season. Each school can have a maximum of six Academic All-District honorees who are then eligible to be voted onto an Academic All-America Team.
