Bowling Green State University Athletics
Jacob Lawrence
Lawrence, Van Houten Earn Academic All-MAC Honors
January 07, 2010 | Men's Soccer
Senior co-captains earn conference honor for 3rd-straight season
A pair of Bowling Green State University men's soccer seniors have been named to the Academic All-Mid-American Conference Team for 2009. Jacob Lawrence and Hunter Van Houten each were chosen to the squad, which was announced by the MAC office Thursday afternoon (Jan. 7).
Both players earn the honor for the third consecutive season. Lawrence and Van Houten each made the team in every year of eligibility.
Thursday's announcement is just the latest academic honor for both players, and for Lawrence in particular. Back in November, he was named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Men's Soccer First Team, becoming the first BGSU men's soccer player in a decade to be named an Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
In late October, both Lawrence and Van Houten had earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First-Team honors.
Lawrence, a native of Brandon, Miss. (St. Joseph), began the 2009 season at a defender spot, but saw extended time at forward down the stretch. A co-captain along with Van Houten, Lawrence finished the season with five goals, three assists and 13 points, setting personal bests in all three categories. Lawrence was second on the Falcons on each of those three lists in '09.
In Mid-American Conference action, Lawrence led the Falcons with nine points in the six matches. He tied for the team lead with four goals, adding an assist.
Lawrence scored a pair of goals, including the game-winning penalty kick late in the second half, in the Falcons' 4-3 win at Buffalo, and also had a two-goal game in the Falcons' 2-2, double-overtime tie vs. Hartwick. Lawrence also found the back of the net vs. Detroit, and had assists against Michigan, Michigan State and Florida Atlantic. He played in 16 of BGSU's 18 matches this season, missing a pair of contests due to injury.
Lawrence finished his Falcon career with a total of 28 points on 11 goals and six assists in 67 matches.
In the classroom, Lawrence maintained a 3.93 cumulative grade point average at the time of nomination, as an interpersonal communications major. He earned academic all-district first-team honors from ESPN The Magazine in both 2008 and '09.
Van Houten, a native of Valparaiso, Ind. (Valparaiso H.S.), was a team captain for the third consecutive season in 2009. He played in 16 matches, starting them all, and had five points on the season. Van Houten, who missed the other two of BG's contests due to injury, led the Falcons with five assists on the year.
Four of those assists came in BGSU's six MAC matches, as he led the team in assists and ranked third in points in conference games. Van Houten had a pair of helpers in the Falcons' 4-3 win at Buffalo, and also picked up assists against Dayton, Hartwick and Florida Atlantic.
On the year, Van Houten played a total of 1408 minutes to rank fourth on the team. He played all 110 minutes in the double-overtime tie vs. Hartwick, and played 90 minutes in seven other matches, including in five-straight contests from Sept. 23 to Oct. 16.
Van Houten finished his BGSU career with a total of 19 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 71 matches.
Van Houten maintained a 3.95 cumulative GPA as a health science major at the time of nomination.
The Academic All-MAC Men's Soccer Team is the result of voting by faculty athletic representatives at the MAC's member institutions. A total of 12 student-athletes were named to this year's men's soccer team. The number of honorees are the number set for the specific sport or 33 percent of the number of nominees, whichever is greater.
The remaining student-athletes nominated for the Academic All-MAC Team are recognized as honorable-mention selections. For BGSU, that group includes senior Chuko Evwaraye and junior Garrett Bireline.
The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify for nomination, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior-college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award.
Both players earn the honor for the third consecutive season. Lawrence and Van Houten each made the team in every year of eligibility.
Thursday's announcement is just the latest academic honor for both players, and for Lawrence in particular. Back in November, he was named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® Men's Soccer First Team, becoming the first BGSU men's soccer player in a decade to be named an Academic All-American by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
In late October, both Lawrence and Van Houten had earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District First-Team honors.
Lawrence, a native of Brandon, Miss. (St. Joseph), began the 2009 season at a defender spot, but saw extended time at forward down the stretch. A co-captain along with Van Houten, Lawrence finished the season with five goals, three assists and 13 points, setting personal bests in all three categories. Lawrence was second on the Falcons on each of those three lists in '09.
In Mid-American Conference action, Lawrence led the Falcons with nine points in the six matches. He tied for the team lead with four goals, adding an assist.
Lawrence finished his Falcon career with a total of 28 points on 11 goals and six assists in 67 matches.
In the classroom, Lawrence maintained a 3.93 cumulative grade point average at the time of nomination, as an interpersonal communications major. He earned academic all-district first-team honors from ESPN The Magazine in both 2008 and '09.
Van Houten, a native of Valparaiso, Ind. (Valparaiso H.S.), was a team captain for the third consecutive season in 2009. He played in 16 matches, starting them all, and had five points on the season. Van Houten, who missed the other two of BG's contests due to injury, led the Falcons with five assists on the year.
Four of those assists came in BGSU's six MAC matches, as he led the team in assists and ranked third in points in conference games. Van Houten had a pair of helpers in the Falcons' 4-3 win at Buffalo, and also picked up assists against Dayton, Hartwick and Florida Atlantic.
On the year, Van Houten played a total of 1408 minutes to rank fourth on the team. He played all 110 minutes in the double-overtime tie vs. Hartwick, and played 90 minutes in seven other matches, including in five-straight contests from Sept. 23 to Oct. 16.
Van Houten finished his BGSU career with a total of 19 points (four goals, 11 assists) in 71 matches.
Van Houten maintained a 3.95 cumulative GPA as a health science major at the time of nomination.
The Academic All-MAC Men's Soccer Team is the result of voting by faculty athletic representatives at the MAC's member institutions. A total of 12 student-athletes were named to this year's men's soccer team. The number of honorees are the number set for the specific sport or 33 percent of the number of nominees, whichever is greater.
The remaining student-athletes nominated for the Academic All-MAC Team are recognized as honorable-mention selections. For BGSU, that group includes senior Chuko Evwaraye and junior Garrett Bireline.
The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify for nomination, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior-college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award.
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