CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – On Wednesday, Bucknell junior forward Kendall Ham was announced as the 2016 Corvias Women’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year and one of the 11 members on the sport’s Academic All-Patriot League team. The selection process was conducted by the League’s women’s soccer sports information directors, who could not vote for their own student-athletes.
Eight of the 10 Patriot League programs were represented by at least one student-athlete, with both Colgate and Bucknell placing two and three, respectively, on the 11-member team.
Ham, who was named the 2016 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and only unanimous first-team All-League selection, becomes the fourth Bucknell player to earn Scholar-Athlete of the Year in women’s soccer since the award’s inception in 1990 and is the first Bison to earn the honor since Shannon Curd in 2006. A Stratham, N.H. native, Ham owns a 3.84 cumulative grade-point average and is working towards a degree in Biology. She was also named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team.
On the field, Ham has posted the best season of her career, totaling more goals and points than her first two seasons combined. The junior has led the Bison to being one of the most potent scoring offenses across the nation in NCAA Division I, ranking tied for ninth in all of Division I with 15 goals and tied for 15th with 34 points. Her 15 goals are the most a Patriot League player has scored in a season since Navy’s Brigitte Fox netted 16 in 2007. Ham has scored a goal in six League contests -- with three of her goals being game winners -- and has tallied at least one point in eight of the nine games against League opponents.
Seven All-Academic selections were also named to the All-League team on Monday, including three others joining Ham on the first team. Army West Point junior Clare Shea (Opereations Research: 3.829), Boston University senior Rachel Bloznalis (Health Science: 3.37) – a Senior CLASS Award Candidate and 2016 Defensive Player of the Year -- and Colgate junior Eliza Doll (Economics: 3.73) -- the 2016 Midfielder of the Year -- were first-team picks on Monday who collected All-Academic honors on Wednesday.
Lafayette senior Kaelin King (Government & Law and Foreign Language: 3.97) is a three-time Academic All-League selection, becoming the third women’s soccer player to receive the honor in three-straight seasons since the team began in 2010. Bucknell senior Alexis Gannon (Neuroscience: 3.97), who was named second team All-League, earned Academic All-League recognition for a second-straight year, as did third team All-League Navy junior Meghan Hegarty (Operations Research: 3.96). Bucknell junior Jackie Ham (Accounting & Financial Management: 3.93), a second team All-League selection, and Colgate senior Sophi Lederer (Neuroscience, Sociology [minor]: 3.97), along with King, Gannon, and Hegarty were all named CoSIDA Academic All-District.
American’s Kiera Flaherty (Biology: 3.97) and Lehigh’s Amanda Stratton (Bioengineering: 3.84) round out the Academic All-League accolades.
To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.
The Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for each individual sport comprises the pool of nominees for the Patriot League Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards given out over the summer. One male and one female are selected for this honor.
Patriot League Corvias Women’s Soccer Scholar-Athlete: Kendall Ham, Bucknell, Jr.
Academic All-League:
Kiera Flaherty, American, Jr.
Clare Shea, Army West Point, Jr. %
Rachel Bloznalis, Boston University, Sr. %
Alexis Gannon, Bucknell, Sr. ^#@
Jackie Ham, Bucknell, Jr. ^#
Kendall Ham, Bucknell, Jr. %#
Eliza Doll, Colgate, Jr. %
Sophi Lederer, Colgate, Sr. #
Kaelin King, Lafayette, Sr. @
Amanda Stratton, Lehigh, Jr.
Meghan Hegarty, Navy, Jr. &#@
% - First-Team All-Patriot League
^ - Second-Team All-Patriot League
& - Third-Team All-Patriot League
# - CoSIDA Academic All-District
@ - 2015 Academic All-League selection