A pair of Ottawa-bred NCAA soccer players concluded their collegiate careers by earning major academic honours.
A first-team Academic All-American, Colin Phillips was awarded an Atlantic 10 Conference Postgraduate Scholarship in late May for his efforts as a three-year captain of the Duquesne University Dukes in Pittsburgh and as a student with a 3.92 GPA.
The OSU product was his conference’s co-leader in goals and points and ranked 7th nationally. Phillips was named Duquesne’s male Student-Athlete of the Year, and has already earned biology and health science degrees.
He recently declined an opportunity to play for the Vancouver Whitecaps in order to complete the final 15 months of his physical therapy doctorate.
Meanwhile, University of Maryland goalkeeper Rachelle Beanlands was a winner of the Big Ten Medal of Honor, an award that recognizes academic and athletic excellence.
The past Ottawa Fury player graduated with a double major in neurobiology and environmental sciences, earning a 3.8 GPA. Beanlands is her school’s all-time leader in games played/started, and total minutes.