Dion Named to Capital One NCAA Div. II Academic All-America® Women’s At-Large 3rd Team
WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University rising senior Nicole Dion (Lunenburg/Lunenburg HS) has been selected for the 2012 Capital One NCAA Division II Academic All-America® Women's At-Large third team by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Dion has amassed a sensational 3.92 grade point average as an accounting major, and has also distinguished herself on the field hockey field.
"Nicole has excelled both in the classroom and on the field since her arrival at Bentley," said coach Jessica Spencer. "She works very hard and it's fantastic to see her recognized as an Academic All-America."
The women's at-large program includes athletes competing in the sports of bowling, crew, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis and water polo. A total of 45 student-athletes were selected to the three teams, with Dion the only field hockey player recognized.
Dion was previously voted Academic All-Northeast-10 and second-team All-Northeast-10 after scoring ten goals for the second time in three seasons. The forward, who bounced back strong after missing the second half of the 2010 season due to injury, was second on the club in scoring with 22 points, boosting her career total to 52 (23 goals, six assists) in 49 games.
Three of Dion's goals were game-winners, and she had a hat trick against Assumption on Oct. 15.
Dion, who was the 2009 Northeast-10 Rookie of the Year, is a three-time member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Academic Squad. Off the field, the six-time President's List honoree is involved in the Bentley Women's Leadership Institute and as an athletic department tutor.
Dion is one of four Bentley student-athletes who have earned Capital One Academic All-America honors thus far this year, joining Lauren Battista (women's basketball), Weston Zeiner (men's soccer) and Matt Michel (golf). She's the third Bentley field hockey player to receive Academic All-America status, following Jennifer Walker (2005) and Alyssa Sliney (2010).
The Capital One Division II Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling fulfillment aspects of the 2011-12 Division II Academic All-America program.
Capital One is in its third year as the program's corporate sponsor.