By: University of Southern Maine Athletics

GORHAM, Maine – Senior Sophia Slovenski (Cape Neddick, Maine/Phillips Academy) of the University of Southern Maine Huskies' women's track and field team added another honor to her already impressive collection of accolades on Wednesday after being named to the 2022-2023 Division III Academic All-America ® Women's Track & Field/Cross Country First Team, as selected by members of the College Sports Communicators (CSC).  Slovenski also earned First Team Academic All-America honors in 2020-21 and is the first female student-athlete in University of Southern Maine history to earn multiple Academic All-America nods.  She is also the first Husky to earn First Team honors twice.
 
Slovenski's selection marks the 14th time that a University of Southern Maine student-athlete has received the prestigious honor from College Sports Communicators (see complete list below).  She is the second Husky to earn Academic All-American status for the 2022-23 academic year joining wrestler Jake Peavey, who earned Third Team honors through the Men's At Large program.  Slovenski earned her undergraduate degree in Health Sciences this spring graduating with a remarkable 3.97 grade point average.  She is one of two members of the Huskies' women's track and field program to be honored with the first being Molly Carl, who was a Third Team selection in 2011-12.
 
"This award is a fitting conclusion to a stellar academic and athletic career for Sophia," noted University of Southern Maine track & field coach Rob Whitten.  "Through hard work and determination, she's continued to elevate herself to rarified air and will go down as one of the all-time great student-athletes in USM history. Her presence will be sorely missed next year."
 
A two-year team captain of the women's track & field team, a three-time All-American and the 2021 NCAA Division III National Champion in the javelin, Slovenski has racked up an impressive collection of awards and honors both athletically and academically.  In her career at the University of Southern Maine she has won Little East Conference event championships seven times and has earned United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association (USTFCCCA) All-Region honors seven times as well. Additionally, she holds the program record in the indoor pole vault at 3.82m (12' 6.25") and in the javelin with a mark of 48.21m (158' 2"). She has qualified for the Division III National Championships twice during her time as a Husky.
 
A two-time William B. Wise Scholar Athlete, five-time LEC All-Academic Team Member and a two-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete, Slovenski has proven herself to be not just an exceptional student-athlete but a community leader as well.  In April she was named the winner of the Paula D. Hodgdon Leadership Award for the second consecutive year thanks to her leadership efforts as the President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the founder of the University's Strong Girls United chapter, an organization in which she also serves as a mentor.
 
Named to the CSC Academic All-District team earlier this spring, Slovenski was eligible for the Academic All-America ballot.  Members of College Sports Communicators vote for student-athletes across NCAA Division I, II, III and NAIA who have excelled academically and athletically. College Sports Communicators began the distinguished Academic All-America® program in 1952, and since then, has honored more than 38,000 deserving student-athletes from numerous sports across all divisions with these elite Academic All-America® scholar-athlete honors.  Currently, CSC sponsors Academic All-America® programs for men's soccer, women's soccer, football, volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's swimming & diving, women's swimming & diving, men's tennis, women's tennis, baseball, softball and men's and women's track and field/cross country. Many other sports are eligible through the At-Large program, including USM sponsored sports field hockey, golf, ice hockey, and wrestling.
 
 

University of Southern Maine Student Athletes who have been recognized by CoSIDA/College Sports Communicators (CSC)
Academic All-America ® of the Year
Ashley Marble, Women's Basketball (College Division)	2007
Academic All-America ®
Sophia Slovenski, Women's Track & Field/XC	First Team, 2023
Jake Peavey, Wrestling	Third Team, 2023
Sophia Slovenski, Women's Track & Field/XC	First Team, 2021
Ashley Tinsman, Softball	Second Team, 2021
Cam Seymour, Baseball	Second Team, 2021
CJ Moody, Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Second Team, 2020
CJ Moody, Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Third Team, 2019
Mary Caron, Softball	Third Team, 2017
Daniel Del Gallo, Wrestling	First Team, 2017
Daniel Del Gallo, Wrestling	Second Team, 2016
Chris Bernard, Baseball	Second Team, 2014
Molly Carl, Women's Cross Country/Track & Field	Third Team, 2012
Ashley Marble, Women's Basketball	First Team, 2007
Darryl Whitney, Men's Track & Field/Cross Country	Second Team, 2003
Allison Drury, Field Hockey (Fall-Winter At-Large)	Third Team, 2000