AUSTIN, Texas – The College Sports Communicators released its Academic All-America squads in an announcement Wednesday, and two Yellowjacket women's soccer players were honored in junior Brenna Mattson (Cloquet, Minn./Cloquet Senior) (third team) and senior Niya Wilson (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) (second team).
 
Wilson and Mattson are the ninth and tenth overall Academic All-America selections for the Yellowjackets. Other notable members of this prestigious award are women's basketball alums Sally Linzmeier (second team in 2015) and Eva Reinertsen (third team in 2019 and first team in 2020), men's soccer's Eric Watson (second team in 2019) and Alex Hanson (third team in 2022), and baseball's Braeden Barr (third team in 2019).
 
The CSC Academic All-America program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined athletic and academic accomplishments, separately recognizing men's and women's soccer student-athletes in NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and the NAIA. 
 
To be eligible for nomination consideration, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade-point average of 3.50 or higher and be a starter or key contributor on their respective team.
 
Mattson earns her first Academic All-America award for her efforts in the 2023 season. As an Elementary Education major that holds a 4.0 GPA, she started in 20 matches and earned the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Year award, as well as a spot on the All-UMAC First Team. Playing 1,456 minutes on the pitch, she led the Yellowjacket backline in producing ten clean sheets while allowing just one goal per match and 6.8 shots per match.
 
Wilson, a Business Marketing major with a 3.96 GPA, becomes the first three-time Academic All-America selection in Yellowjacket history, landing on the CSC's third team in 2022 and first team in 2021. She extended her lead as the Yellowjackets' all-time leading scorer with 68 career goals after ending the 2023 campaign with 26. Additionally, Wilson joined Mattson on the All-UMAC First Team.
 
The Yellowjackets capped 2023 with an overall record of 16-6-1, finishing the season in the NCAA Division III North Regionals after securing their third consecutive UMAC title.