The Chico State women's soccer team's fight for one of the top six spots in the West Region and accompanying NCAA Championship Tournament berth is nearing its climax. Just two regular-season matches remain, including Thursday afternoon's 4:30 showdown with Cal State Monterey Bay.
 
Hours before kickoff, the program's status as one of the highest-performing academic lineups was confirmed emphatically with the announcement that three Wildcats earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors. Cassi Scroggins, Katie Brown and Lindsey Dias were recognized among the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
 
Wildcats claimed three of the 11 honors dedicated to Division II athletes from the West Region, culled from a combined 36 women's soccer programs from the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA), Great Norwest Athletic Conference and Pacific West Conference.   
 
"Focus on academics is an important part of our program," Head Coach Kim Sutton said. "We're recruiting athletes who want to make being a good student a priority. When they get here they see the players who have been around the program making it a priority. They see the focus it's given in our hallway display case and in our office. It's also something we preach and teach. It's something that has just permeated the program and something we are all – from the coaches to the players – very proud of."
 
To be nominated for CoSIDA Academic All-District, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at her current institution, have completed one full calendar year at her institution, and reached sophomore athletic eligibility.
 
Scroggins, Brown and Dias all eclipsed the GPA threshold by a lot, which no doubt helped them earn the honor that came via vote by the Region's Sports Information professionals.
 
Scroggins, a senior defender from Sunol, is majoring in exercise physiology. She's started 67 straight matches for the Wildcats dating back to her freshman season and leads the 2015 team in minutes played.
 
She's helped anchor a defense that boasts eight shutouts in 16 matches and has also delivered a pair of assists.
 
Scroggins' academic accolades are many: 2014-15 National Soccer Coaches Association of America Academic All-America honorable mention; Three CCAA All-Academic awards; Two Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement honors.
 
Brown is a math education major from Chico. She's started 13 matches in the Wildcats' midfield and has dished out four career assists. Brown is a two-time CCAA All-Academic selection and earned the Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Award for 2014-15.
 
Dias, a junior midfielder from Fullerton, is majoring in nursing. The program's active leader in goals (13) and points (33), she ranks second on the team in points, assists and goals this season.
 
Dias earned All-West Region and All-CCAA accolades for her contributions on the pitch as a sophomore. For her work in the classroom, she earned the 2014-15 Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement award, and has twice been recognized a CCAA All-Academic performer.
 
As First-team Academic All-District honorees, they all advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team ballot, which will be used to determine first-, second- and third-team CoSIDA Academic All-America honorees later this month.

COMPLETE CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT RELEASE