Four GVSU Student-Athletes Named to the Daktronics NCAA Division II Women's Soccer All-America Teams

Release courtesy of Mike Anderson, National Coordinator; Assistant Sports Information Director, Northern Kentucky University

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. --- University of West Florida senior forward Shakira Duncan repeated as the Ron Lenz National Player of the Year to headline the 2010 Daktronics NCAA Division II Women's Soccer All-America Teams.

Duncan was also one of 13 student-athletes chosen as first-team All-Americans, including five players from The College of St. Rose, which enters this week's NCAA Division II national semifinals with a perfect 23-0 record.  Goalkeeper Deanna Esposito, midfielders Christina Cuffari and Amanda Deck and defenders Kelly Guerin and Katie Whiting all represented the Golden Knights on the first team.

National semifinalist Grand Valley State enjoyed three first-team selections, including sophomore forward Kayla Addison, junior midfielder Erin Mruz and senior defender Jenna Wenglinski.  Other first-team honorees including freshman forward Emma Karp of Barry, sophomore forward Chloe Roberts of North Alabama, junior midfielder Stephanie Lowery of Columbus State and senior defender Anna Svensson of C.W. Post.

Duncan, a 5-5 native of Kingston, Jamaica, has scored 31 goals and tallied 74 points on the season to lead all Division II players in both categories for the second consecutive season.  Duncan was also named the Gulf South Conference Player of the Year, the GSC Tournament Most Outstanding Player and the Daktronics South Region Player of the Year.

The Ron Lenz National Player of the Year award was named for long-time South Dakota State sports information director Ron Lenz in 2008.  Lenz was instrumental in the foundation of the Daktronics NCAA Division II All-America program, which honors outstanding student-athletes across eight NCAA Division II sports.

Sports information directors from NCAA Division II schools and conferences selected the three Daktronics All-America teams. The process begins at the regional level with all first-team all-region picks advancing to the national ballot. This is the fifth year Daktronics has sponsored the NCAA Division II Women's Soccer All-America and all-region teams. A total of 39 student-athletes representing 24 different institutions filled out the three teams.

The team is sponsored by Daktronics, Inc., an acknowledged world leader in scoring, timing and programmable display systems for virtually every sport at every level of competition. The team is voted on by the NCAA Division II members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (D2SIDA), with the online nomination and voting process powered by ATHLETICSITE.COM.

A complete iist of the 2010 Daktronics Division II Women's Soccer All-America Teams is below: