Dec. 11, 2005

West Texas A&M University men's soccer player Kenneth Christensen was named to the Southwest Soccer Conference Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll, announced by the conference office. Christensen is WTAMU's lone academic award winner for men's soccer.

Christensen, a 6-1 sophomore defender and a native of Hendensten, Denmark, has a 3.42 GPA as a biology major. He also earned first-team All-SSC honors this season, after finishing third on the team with four goals and tied for third with three assists for 11 points, as well as anchoring a defense that had a 1.46 goals against average and six shutouts, including four in the first five matches of the season. Christensen was 2-of-2 on penalty kick goals. This was the second year in a row for Christensen to receive SSC honors, as he was named to the honorable mention list last season.

WTAMU finished the season with an 11-8 overall and 10-4 SSC record on the season. The Buffs ended the season with a 6-1 home record after last Saturday's 9-1 rout of border-rival Eastern New Mexico University in the season finale.

Altogether, 30 soccer players were recognized by the conference for both their academic and athletic success, including 11 on the All-Academic Team and 19 on the Honor Roll. Yaniv Braver of the University of Incarnate Word was chosen as the Academic Player of the Year.

The All-Academic teams are voted upon by the league's sports information directors. To be eligible for SSC academic honors, student-athletes need at least a 3.20 grade point average and must be at least a sophomore. All qualifying student-athletes not voted to the All-Academic Team are then placed on the Commissioner's Honor Roll.

-WT-