MORROW, Ga. – On August 18, 1997, Clayton State Athletics completed a significant transition from the NAIA to NCAA Division II. The 2017-18 season marked the 20^th anniversary of that accomplishment. Over a seven week span, the Sports Information Office is releasing the top 20 moments in the NCAA era, one on each Monday, Wednesday and Friday with select exceptions.
  The countdown continues with the No. 9 moment, Marti Bartis' Two First-Team Selections Anchor Academic All-America Selections.
 
In the 28-year history of Clayton State Athletics, only two individuals have earned the distinction of becoming College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-Americas. The first of those was men's track & field's Robert Spezzacatena in 2012 with women's soccer becoming the only other Laker to accomplish the feat.
 
Spezzacatena's was a Third-Team honor. For Marti Bartis, she notched back-to-back recognitions in 2015 and 2016 but did so with both of those as First-Team honors. Not only is she the only multi-time winner, she is the only student-athlete in Clayton State history to earn First-Team recognition.
 
Below are the original releases for Marti Bartis second honor (November 21, 2016), first honor (November 23, 2015) and Robert Spezzacatena's Third-Team honor (June 21, 2012).
  YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Graduate midfielder Maria Marti Bartis (Girona, Spain) has been named a CoSIDA Academic All-America First-Team selection for a second straight season, becoming the first multi time winner in program history.
 
One of just 11 Division II women's soccer student-athletes across the country to earn First-Team honors, Marti Bartis has collected two of the three Academic All-America honors in the 27-year history of Clayton State Athletics. The only other was cross country and track and field student-athlete Robert Spezzacatena, who was a Third-Team choice in 2012.
 
"What Maria has accomplished during her time as a Laker is incredible," said Tim Duncan, Director of Athletics. "We place a premium on academics with our student-athletes and impress upon our coaches to recruit those individuals that can succeed both academically and athletically throughout their careers at Clayton State. One needs to look no further than Maria for a perfect example of this in action. Her head coaches during her career, Gareth O'Sullivan and Fergal Forde, should be commended for their efforts in bringing such an outstanding individual to Clayton State. We are very proud of her accomplishments and look forward to her continuing to be a part of the Laker Family as an alumna."
 
Marti Bartis is in rare company as she is one of just seven individuals to repeat as Academic All-America from last year's team and one of only three to do so on the First-Team.
 
Additionally, she is one of three Peach Belt Conference student-athletes to make any of the teams, with Maylyn Parsons and Nicole Corcione earning spots on the First-Team for Columbus State. A total of only six student-athletes from the Southeast Region were named as an Academic All-America.
 
A graduate student, she has continued to excel both academically and athletically in 2016. In the classroom she posted a perfect 4.0 GPA while pursuing a Masters in Health Administration and was named to the PBC All-Academic Team for a second consecutive year.
 
That performance earned her a second straight Academic All-District selection, just the 14^th in Clayton State history and one of two multi time winners, which paved the way for her to become a two-time First-Team Academic All-America.
 
When it came to the field, she had that covered as well. Marti Bartis finished 2016 with 11 goals and eight assists for 30 points and finished her career with 37 goals, 18 assists and 92 points in just three seasons.
 
She is third all-time in program history in goals scored and points, and this year, became the first Laker soccer player, men's or women's, to score double-digit goals in three consecutive seasons. That encompassed a total of 47 seasons of Clayton State soccer.
 
For her efforts she has been named Peach Belt Conference Player of the Year, All-PBC First-Team and PBC Player of the Week (10/3). She is the sixth Player of the Year in team history and one of just four individuals to be named All-Conference for three or more years. For the latter, the last two have been at the First-Team level. She is still under consideration for D2CCA All-American honors, which would be her second following a Second-Team spot in 2014.
 
For her career, she is also a three-time Daktronics/D2CCA First-Team All-Region selection, three-time All-PBC choice (two First-Team, one Second-Team) and has twice been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Southeast Region Third-Team. She is also a four-time PBC Player of the Week, which ranks second all-time in program history behind the six won by Olaitan Yusuf from 2004-07.
 
Additionally, Marti Bartis is one of just three international students to be named to the First-Team and is one of just six among the 33 total selections. She is also the only graduate student on the First-Team and one of three selected to any team.

Marti Bartis is also the 73^rd All-American of any kind in the history of the program. This is her third appearance on that illustrious list with her First-Team Academic All-American honor from a year ago and the Daktronics Second-Team recognition in 2014 being the others.
 
Student-athletes are nominated and selected to the Academic All-District Team by Sports Information Directors who are members of CoSIDA prior to consideration for Academic All-American recognition. Student-athletes selected as Academic All-District then move on to the All-American ballot.
 
ABOUT THE COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA PROGRAM
The 2016 CoSIDA Division II Academic All-America Women's Soccer Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, have been released to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
 
To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA 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 their sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
 
Clayton State History of Academic All-America Selections
2016 – Maria Marti Bartis (Women's Soccer) – First-Team
2015 – Maria Marti Bartis (Women's Soccer) – First-Team
2012 – Robert Spezzacatena (At-Large – Men's Cross Country/Track & Field) – Third-Team

2016 CoSIDA Women's Soccer Academic All-America Teams
FIRST TEAM

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown	GPA	Major
GK	Maylyn Parsons	Columbus State	Sr.	Greenville, S.C.	4.00	Engineering Studies
D	Clare Carlson	Grand Valley State	Sr.	Ada, Mich.	3.94	Biomedical Sciences
D	Anna Fink	Missouri S&T	Sr.	Fulton, Mo.	4.00	Chemical Engineering
D	Courtney Kozak	Ohio Dominican	Sr.	Millersburg, Ohio	4.00	Accounting/Finance
D	Carlie Thornber	Tusculum	Jr.	Oshawa, Ontario	4.00	Pre-Medicine
M	Kaitlyn Brunworth	Wingate	Sr.	Littleton, Colo.	4.00	Biology
M	Sara Helgadottir	West Florida	Sr.	Grindavík, Iceland	3.72	Psychology
M	Maria Marti Bartis	Clayton State	Gr.	Girona, Spain	4.00	Health Administration
F	Nicole Corcione	Columbus State	Sr.	Candler, N.C.	3.58	Nursing
F	Gabriella Mencotti	Grand Valley State	Jr.	Novi, Mich.	3.73	Finance
F	Sarah Stram	Bemidji State	Sr.	Elk Grove Village, Ill.	3.90	Chemistry

SECOND-TEAM

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown	GPA	Major
GK	Katie Mattingly	Truman State	Sr.	Perryville, Mo.	3.83	Health Science
D	Megan Block	Rollins	Sr.	Jacksonville, Fla.	3.96	International Business
D	Jessica Brown	Ashland	Sr.	Hamilton, Ohio	3.99	Exercise Science
D	Andrea Polanco	East Stroudsburg	Sr.	Otisville, N.Y.	4.00	Public Health
D	Emily Vogler	West Florida	Sr.	Lynn Haven, Fla.	3.64	MBA
M	Kiera Bocchino	UC San Diego	Sr.	Laguna Hills, Calif.	3.60	Human Development
M	Kristin Wolff	Rockhurst	Sr.	Wentzville, Mo.	3.98	Nursing
M	Nicola Worthington	Bridgeport	Jr.	Chorley, England	3.61	Health Science
F	Anna Bondy	Northern State	Sr.	Pierre, S.D.	3.70	Biology
F	Jules Herrity	Carson-Newman	Sr.	Donegal, Ireland	3.56	Business Administration
F	Darian McCloy	Dixie State	Sr.	Herriman, Utah	3.97	Nursing

THIRD-TEAM

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown	GPA	Major
GK	Jordan Woodruff	Northeastern State	Sr.	Long Island, N.Y.	3.82	Health & Human Performance
D	Taylor Gersch	Saint Martin's	Sr.	Sherwood, Ore.	4.00	Business Administration
D	Hannah Gombos	East Stroudsburg	Sr.	Schnecksville, Pa.	3.56	Special Education & Mid-Level Ed.
D	Kate O'Gara	Lubbock Christian	Jr.	Stockport, England	4.00	Exercise Science
D	Drew Ribadeneyra	Pace	Jr.	Maybrook, N.Y.	3.96	Biological Psychology
M	Samantha Collin	Rollins	Sr.	Oviedo, Fla.	3.98	Physics
M	Lindsey Dias	Chico State	Sr.	Fullerton, Calif.	3.94	Nursing
M	Mackenzie Fuller	Lewis	Jr.	Aurora, Ill.	4.00	Economics
F	Elise Aylward	Western Washington	Sr.	Renton, Wash.	3.84	French
F	Deanna Rudasill	East Central	Jr.	Fayetteville, Ark.	4.00	Early Childhood Education
F	Caroline Staudle	S. Connecticut State	Sr.	New Windsor, N.Y.	3.98	Business

  YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. – Senior midfielder Maria Marti Bartis (Girona, Spain) has accomplished something no other individual in program history has as she has been named a CoSIDA Academic All-America First-Team selection following an incredible season on the field and in the classroom.
 
She is one of just 11 Division II women's soccer student-athletes across the country to earn First-Team honors and just the second individual in the illustrious 26-year history of Clayton State Athletics to earn Academic All-America honors. She joins cross country and track and field student-athlete Robert Spezzacatena, who was a Third-Team choice in 2012.

"What a tremendous honor," said Tim Duncan, Director of Athletics. "Maria epitomizes what it means to be a scholar-athlete, having achieved success as an All-American on the field last year, and now this recognition for her work in the classroom. This is one of the most important and impressive honors one of our student-athletes could receive. Kudos to Coach O'Sullivan and his staff for recruiting the ideal student-athlete!"
 
Marti Bartis has excelled both academically and athletically in 2015, posting a perfect 4.0 GPA while pursuing a Masters in Health Administration and being one of the top goal scoring threats in the Southeast Region.
 
This season she was named to the All-Peach Belt Conference First-Team and was twice the league's Player of the Week (Sept. 21, Oct. 19) after driving home 11 goals and finishing with 25 points. Four of those goals were also game-winners, which ranks 50^th in the country.
 
On the year, Marti Bartis scored in 10-of-18 games, including six straight from September 11-30. Highlighting that run was a goal and an assist on the game-winner in a 2-1 overtime victory over No. 3 North Georgia on October 14. She was also named to the PBC All-Academic Team for a second consecutive year.
 
This follows a host of honors a year ago, including Daktronics Second-Team All-American and All-Southeast Region First-Team honors. She was also named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Region Third Team and All-PBC Second-Team.
 
"We are thrilled for Maria to receive this recognition," said head coach Gareth O'Sullivan. "She works extremely hard both on and off the field, and as a program, we are very proud of this accolade."
 
Student-athletes are nominated and selected to the Academic All-District Team by Sports Information Directors who are members of CoSIDA prior to consideration for Academic All-America recognition. Student-athletes selected as Academic All-District then move on to the All-America ballot.
 
ABOUT THE COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA PROGRAM
The 2015 CoSIDA Division II Academic All-America Women's Soccer Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, have been released to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
 
To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative GPA 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 their sports information director. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
 
Clayton State History of Academic All-America Selections
2015 – Maria Marti Bartis (Women's Soccer) – First-Team
2012 – Robert Spezzacatena (At-Large – Men's Cross Country/Track & Field) – Third-Team
 
2015 CoSIDA Women's Soccer Academic All-America Teams
FIRST TEAM

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown	GPA	Major
GK	Maylyn Parsons	Columbus State	Jr.	Greenville, S.C.	4.00	Engineering Studies
D	Clare Carlson	Grand Valley State	Jr.	Ada, Mich.	3.92	Engineering
D	Breanne Hatfield	Minot State	Sr.	Manteca, Calif.	4.00	Biology/Mathematics/Chemistry
D	Shayla Page	Seattle Pacific	Sr.	Redmond, Wash.	3.95	Communications
D	Shelby Rolling	Columbus State	Sr.	Stayner, Ontario	3.95	Health Science
M	Maria Marti Bartis	Clayton State	Gr.	Girona, Spain	4.00	Health Science
M	Mani Brueckner	Gannon	Sr.	Valencia, Pa.	3.70	Engineering
M	Marti Corby	Grand Valley State	Jr.	Ada, Mich.	3.60	Pre-Med
F	Nicole Corcione	Columbus State	Jr.	Candler, N.C.	4.00	Nursing
F	Andrea Froshaug	Embry-Riddle (Fla.)	Sr.	Oslo, Norway	3.90	Business Administration
F	Haley Hatcher	Quachita Baptist	Sr.	Maumelle, Ark.	4.00	Mass Communications

SECOND-TEAM

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown	GPA	Major
GK	Olivia Lynch	Embry-Riddle (Fla.)	Sr.	Naples, Fla.	3.66	Aeronautics
D	Romina Bell	American International	Sr.	Stockerau, Austria	3.88	Education
D	Brianna Belsky	Lenoir-Rhyne	Sr.	Egg Harbor Twp., N.J.	3.94	Chemistry
D	Taylor Groth	Adelphi	Sr.	Setauket, N.Y.	3.94	Psychology
D	Chrissy Hollan	Bloomsburg	Sr.	Laurys Station, Pa.	3.91	Speech Pathology
M	Audrey Adkison	Harding	Sr.	Gorham, Maine	4.00	Health & Kinesiology
M	Ally Barys	Georgia College	Sr.	Ladera Ranch, Calif.	4.00	Exercise Science
M	Bella Mitrevski	Roberts Wesleyan	Jr.	Rochester, N.Y.	3.91	Pre-Law
F	Korey Kronforst	Minnesota State Mankato	Sr.	Cary, Ill.	3.80	Special Education
F	Chloe Richards	North Alabama	Sr.	Cornwall, England	3.45	Exercise Science
F	Jacoby Ziegler	Cedarville	Sr.	Wellington, Ohio	3.72	Nursing

THIRD-TEAM

Pos.	Name	School	Class	Hometown	GPA	Major
GK	Kaitlyn Emanuel	Upper Iowa	Sr.	Byron, Minn.	4.00	Athletic Training
D	Reilee DuPratt	Edinboro	Sr.	Olmsted Falls, Ohio	3.90	Early Childhood Education
D	Courtney Kozak	Ohio Dominican	Jr.	Millersburg, Ohio	4.00	Accounting & Finance
D	Shannon Quinn	Grand Valley State	So.	Grand Rapids, Mich.	3.89	Biomedical Sciences
D	Carlie Thornber	Tusculum	So.	Oshawa, Ontario	4.00	Biology (Pre-Medicine)
M	Kaitlyn Brunworth	Wingate	Jr.	Littleton, Colo.	4.00	Biology
M	Ashley Burton	Quincy	Sr.	St. Louis, Mo.	3.64	Physical Education
M	Anna Hoffman	Trevecca Nazarene	Sr.	Chattanooga, Tenn.	3.89	Education
F	Lavinia Nkomo	Barry	Sr.	Southampton, England	3.93	Exercise Physiology
F	Sarah Stram	Bemidji State	Jr.	Elk Grove Village, Ill.	3.94	Chemistry
F	Susanne Vistnes	LIU Post	Gr.	Randaberg, Norway	3.57	Business

 
  MORROW, Ga. - Robert Spezzacatena, a senior on the Clayton State track & field team, was named Capital One Academic All-America to the men's cross country and track & field team. Spezzacatena was selected to the third team and is the first track & field Laker in the program's 16-year history to be named Academic All-America.
 
The award is widely regarded as the highest individual honor a student-athlete can achieve, as it measures success in the classroom and success on the track.  The academic teams are administered and selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
 
Spezzacatena, who hails from North Bergen, N.J., finished his career at Clayton State this spring as a four-year letter winner in track, as well as two seasons on the cross country team.  He graduated in May with a business degree and a 3.90 grade point average (GPA).
 
"This is a very nice honor for Rob to receive as he completed his athletic career here at Clayton State," said Laker head coach Mike Mead.  "Rob was a leader in the classroom and on the track and is deserving of this honor."
 
Last month, Spezzacatena, along with teammate Russell Lawless, were named to the Capital One Division II Academic All-District teams for men's cross country and track & field.
 
During his track career, Spezzacatena ran primarily the 400 and 800m events.  This past season, he raced distances from 100m to 400m and ran legs on the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400m relays.  In 2010, he held the team's 600m indoor record that teammate Ricky Fort bettered in 2011.
 
Spezzacatena was recipient of the H. Mason Barfield Award for the past two seasons which recognizes the top male academic student within the Clayton State athletics program.  He was named Gold Scholar for four consecutive years to the Peach Belt Conference Presidential Honor Roll.  Gold Scholars are those student-athletes who earn a GPA between 3.75 and 4.00.
 
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 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.
 
Schedule of NCAA 20^th Anniversary Countdown Releases
No. 1 (July 11)
No. 2 (July 9)
No. 3 (July 5)
No. 4 (July 2)
No. 5 (June 29)
No. 6 (June 27)
No. 7 (June 25)
No. 8 (June 22)
No. 9 Marti Bartis' Two First-Team Selections Anchor Academic All-America Selections (June 20)
No. 10 Men's Golf Becomes First Clayton State Program to Reach NCAA Championships in 1999 (June 18)
No. 11 Eight Individual PBC Championships in Calendar Year by Cross Country and Track (June 15)
No. 12 Men's Soccer Wins Five PBC Championships in Three Seasons From 2005-07 (June 13)
No. 13 Women's Tennis Claims Rare PBC Championship in 2001 (June 11)
No. 14 Women's Soccer Sweeps PBC Titles and Heads to NCAA's in 2005 (June 8)
No. 15 Women's Basketball Makes First Elite Eight in 2006-07 (June 6)
No. 16 Men's Cross Country Delivers Record Setting 2005 Season (June 4)
No. 17 Women's Basketball Wins No. 1 vs. No. 2 Game vs. Lander on February 10, 2011 (June 1)
No. 18 Men's Basketball Wins First Ever PBC Championship in 2001-02 Regular Season Finale (May 30)
No. 19 Women's Cross Country Wins PBC, Heads to 2012 NCAA National Championships (May 28)
No. 20 Women's Tennis Makes NCAA Tournament in 1999 (May 25)