UA soccer scoring high in academics

Nicholas Valenzuela Arizona Daily Wildcat Senior forward Nikki Jones (4) fights for the ball against a Washington State defender Oct. 25 at Murphey Stadium. Jones was one of six Wildcat soccer players to be named to the Pac-10 All-Academic women's soccer teams.

The Wildcats finished off their season 3-12-2 overall and 0-8-1 in the Pac-10, and although their record on the field was not too impressive, their efforts in the classroom reflect considerable success.

Senior forward Nikki Jones was the Wildcats' representative on the Pac-10 All-Academic first team with a 3.01 grade point average while majoring in marketing.

"I think time management plays a big role in keeping up my grades during the season," she said. "It's really, really important to me to achieve good grades."

Jones ended her college career as a leader on and off the field. She led the team in shots (165), goals (25) and total points (64), while also setting an example for her teammates as a studious worker in the area of academics.

Jones' teammate Megan Canaday, a management information systems major, was named to the Pac-10 second team. The junior midfielder has a 3.57 GPA.

Sophomores Ann Giallonardo, Kerri Kennedy-Weber and Kate Nighswander-Will, along with junior Jill Micone, were all named to the Pac-10 honorable mention team.

Canaday was impressed by the number of Wildcats named.

"It says we work hard off the field in our classes," she said. "It says our priority isn't just on the field and that we have goals besides soccer."

Giallonardo and Nighswander helped keep the pressure on as defenders for the Wildcats, while Kennedy-Weber and Micone pushed the ball up on offense.

Micone had a key goal in the Wildcats' last game against Southern Cal a few weeks ago, with the first goal of the game that helped the boost the team's morale to keep up a fight against the Pac-10 champion Trojans, only to lose 2-1 in overtime.

Kate Longworth can be reached via e-mail at Kate.Longworth@wildcat.arizona.edu.