Twelve Pac-12 All-Academic

STANFORD, Calif. – For the third consecutive season under Jeremy Gunn and his staff, the Stanford men’s soccer program had more than 10 of its student-athletes receive recognition from the conference for their combined work in the classroom and on the field when the Pac-12 announced its Men’s Soccer All-Academic squads on Friday morning.

Twelve Cardinal were on this year’s list, five more than any other institution. Eleven received similar recognition in 2013 and another twelve in 2012.

To be eligible for selection, a student-athlete must have a minimum 3.0 overall grade-point average, at least one year of enrollment at the institution and appear in at least 50 percent of the team’s games. True freshmen are not eligible for Pac-12 All-Academic teams.

Bobby Edwards, Andrew Epstein, Austin Meyer and Ty Thompson led the way with their selections to the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team.

Edwards already possesses his degree in mechanical engineering and it pursuing his master’s in the same. The redshirt senior was also an honorable mention pick in 2012. It’s the third consecutive first-team nod for Meyer, another accomplished Cardinal. He recently graduated with his bachelor’s in English and will receive his master’s in journalism this spring.

Thompson was a second team pick a year ago. It is the first academic award for the sophomore Epstein (undeclared).

Six Cardinal earned spots on the Pac-12 All-Academic Second Team in Zach Batteer, Jimmy Callinan, Marshall Glover, Slater Meehan, Jordan Morris and Eric Verso.

An earth systems major, Batteer had achieved honorable mention status each of the past two years. The same is true for the senior economics major Callinan. Verso, a management science and engineering major, was a second teamer in 2012 and an honorable mention pick in 2013.

Additionally, Batteer and Verso were selected earlier this month to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-District Men’s Soccer Team and now finds themslves on the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot.

It’s the first academic recognition for Glover (undeclared), Meehan (management science and engineering) and Morris (undeclared).

A sophomore, Brian Nana-Sinkam also earned his first academic award with his spot on the honorable mention squad. The defender was alongside his teammate on the back line in Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year Brandon Vincent, an economics major who also earned honorable mention status in 2013.

Stanford finished its regular season 13-2-3 overall and 6-1-3 in league action. The Cardinal, which began its Pac-12 schedule with two wins, a loss and three draws finished 4-0 down the stretch to seal the league title. Austin Meyer’s winner in the 103rd minute at Cal Sunday afternoon pulled Stanford to the top of the conference table with 21 points, one point clear of UCLA. It was just the program’s second Pac-12 championship and first since 2001.

Stanford begins its NCAA Tournament at home on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 5 p.m. against UC Irvine.