Three PBC Women's Soccer Players Named Academic All-Americans

Armstrong Atlantic State University senior defender Kelli Bahr and junior forward Kristina Pascutti and Columbus State junior defender Kayla Brown have each been named to the Capital One/CoSIDA Division II Academic All-America Women's Soccer team, released today.  Bahr was placed on the first team while Pascutti was second team and Brown third team.  The three are the first Capitol One/CoSIDA Academic All-Americans in the Peach Belt since 2008.  It is also only the second time in PBC history three players have received the award, largely acknowledged as the highest individual honor a student-athlete can receive.

Bahr is just the second Capital One/CoSIDA Academic All-America first team honoree in Armstrong women's soccer history, joining Kristin Burton (2009), while Pascutti is the first second-team honoree in program history. Burton was a third-team honoree in 2007 and 2008 and Ashley Elam was a third-team honoree in 2007.

A fifth-year senior who anchors Armstrong's defense this season, Bahr carried a 3.88 GPA in receiving her undergraduate degree in early childhood education in May and currently has a 4.00 GPA in her graduate school courses. A two-time Daktronics All-American honoree on the field as well, Bahr has helped the No. 7-ranked Pirates to the NCAA DII Final Four while scoring two goals and one assist and helping Armstrong recod a team 0.83 GAA. The Middleton, Wisc., native is playing this week in Pensacola where she played youth soccer as a child, helping Pensacola Futbol Club to a U-13 state title.

Pascutti, meanwhile, was the co-Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year in 2011 for leading the Pirates in goals (12) and points (27). The Lilburn, Ga., native carries a 3.78 GPA in biology and also earned All-Region honors, collecting five game-winning goals this season.

Brown becomes the first women's soccer Academic All-American in Columbus State history.  A first-team All-Conference player and named to the PBC's All-Academic team, she is currently studying communications at CSU with a 3.90 GPA.  Brown started all 23 games for the Cougars on defense, contributing three assists during the season.  She was a key part of a CSU back line that led the Peach Belt with a 0.59 goals against average and allowed only 14 goals to be scored against them in 23 games.

The Capitol One/CoSIDA Academic All-America team is selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.  Click here to see the complete release.