ABERDEEN, S.D. – Northern State University senior defender Laura Skog was named to the recently released ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-District VII.  The honor is the first of her career.

Voting for the award, which is based on both athletic and academic merit, is conducted through CoSIDA memberships.  One of eight districts across the U.S. and Canada, District VII is made up of colleges and universities in nine states (Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Wyoming and North and South Dakota) and two Canadian provinces (Alberta and Saskatchewan).  The College Division includes all NCAA Division II and III, NAIA and 2-year collegiate institutions in that region.

Skog, an Anoka, Minn. native and a key member of NSU’s on-field defense, earned the honor after compiling a 3.89 cumulative GPA in the classroom while majoring in psychology.  She was one of four defenders named to the district’s first team, and will now be placed on the national ballot.

Thus far in the 2009 season, Skog has helped the team to eight shutout performances, while scoring her second career goal in the eighth and most recent blanking last weekend.  That go-ahead goal in the Wolves’ 1-0 win over Concordia-St. Paul on Oct. 25 was the first game-winner of her 4-year career.

She has also helped the Wolves to their ninth straight NSCAA Team Academic Award in 2008, and will likely earn their tenth straight honor in 2009.  That award is given to teams that post a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.  In 2008, the Wolves were one of just 11 teams across the nation to post a team GPA of 3.55 or better.

Complete District VII Listing