Armstrong Atlantic's Burton Named Academic All-American

SAVANNAH, Ga. - Armstrong Atlantic State senior forward Kristin Burton has been named to the ESPN: The Magazine/CoSIDA Women's Soccer Academic All-America first team. A third-team honoree in 2007 and 2008, Burton is the first three-time Academic All-America honoree in AASU Athletics history.

Burton carries a 3.68 GPA in physical therapy and has achieved almost every conceivable record for the AASU women's soccer squad in her four years as a Pirate. A three-time PBC Player of the Year, she finished her career as the Peach Belt Conference's all-time leader in goals, assists and points, while also ranking 7th all-time in goals scored and points.

This season, Burton led the PBC and ranks third in NCAA Division II in goals per game (3.30) and points per game (1.348). Her 31 goals are a new single-season record at AASU and her 76 points are a new AASU and Peach Belt Conference single-season record. In her four seasons, she has tallied 95 goals and 225 points.

She is only the third AASU student-athlete to earn first-team ESPN: The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, joining Michael Pelley (2004, baseball) and Iuliia Stupak (2008, women's tennis) and is the only AASU student-athlete to earn multiple Academic All-American honors as awarded by ESPN and CoSIDA.

To view the complete ESPN: The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America women's soccer honors, click here.

Burton was also honored as the Southeast Region Player of the Year on Tuesday, as awarded by Daktronics and CoSIDA. The Ocala, Fla., native was one of two AASU players named on the first team All-Southeast Region team, joining freshman midfielder Morgan Mitchell.

The Southeast Region Player of the Year as a freshman in 2006, Burton will advance to the national ballot, along with Mitchell, for possible All-America honors. Burton is a two-time All-American honoree by Daktronics and CoSIDA, earning third team honors in 2007 and honorable mention honors in 2008.

Burton and the No. 14-ranked Pirates finished the 2009 season with a 16-4-3 overall record and the program's first-ever Peach Belt Conference tournament title and first-ever win in the NCAA Soccer Championships.