Mahir Mameledzija Named Capital One Academic All-American® of the Year

Mahir Mameledzija Named Capital One Academic All-American® of the Year

The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) released the 2013 Capital One Academic All-America® Men's Soccer Teams on Friday and Lake Forest College's Mahir Mameledzija was not only a repeat honoree on the First Team, but was also named Capital One Academic All-American® of the Year.

Mameledzija, a senior forward, was selected as the top player in the nation, in terms of both athletic and academic accomplishment. The Spanish and chemistry double-major currently owns a 3.86 cumulative grade point average. He is a two-time Academic All-Midwest Conference honoree, a two-time Capital One Academic All-District® choice, and now a two-time First Team Academic All-America® selection.

Mameledzija helped lead Lake Forest to back-to-back conference titles in 2012 and 2013 and the Foresters made their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 33 years this season. He was named First Team All-MWC following each of his four years, the league's Offensive Player of the Year each of the last three seasons, and the MWC Player of the Year in 2012 and 2013. The College Soccer Coaches Association of America named him Third Team All-Region as a sophomore before handing him First Team All-Region and Third Team All-American honors last year.

Mameledzija led the Foresters in goals and points in each of his four seasons and is a three-time team Most Valuable Player (the 2013 selection has yet to be announced). He led the nation with a school and conference record 27 goals and 59 points in 2012 and his 19 goals and 42 points this year rank among the top 20 in the country. Mameledzija finished his career with a school and league record 72 goals and 165 points.

"I couldn't be prouder of Mahir or his accomplishments over the last four years," begins Lake Forest College Director of Athletics Jackie Slaats. "He embodies our Forester Athletics "Tradition of Excellence" and, in doing so, has established himself as a leader amongst his peers, the Midwest Conference, and our College community. Mahir's passion on the soccer field and in the classroom as he prepares for a career in the medical field, combined with his character, work ethic, and competitive spirit, makes him a model Division III student-athlete.  This is an incredibly special national honor for Mahir and everyone at the College is proud and happy for him."

"As a head coach, it is always a special privilege to be able to invest in a student-athlete who is not only bright and talented, but also possesses unquestionable character, tremendous leadership qualities, and an unmatched work ethic," stated Forester Head Men's Soccer Coach Chris Bergmann." "Mahir Mameledzija exemplifies each of these characteristics and it has been an honor to be his college coach for the past four years. During his tenure at Lake Forest College, Mahir's success on the field and in the classroom has earned conference, regional, and national recognition, and this award is the perfect  capstone to his stellar collegiate career."

To be eligible for Academic All-America® consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 19,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit www.cosida.com.

CoSIDA 2013 Capital One Academic All-America® Release

Capital One Academic All-America Website