Spartan Men’s Soccer Student-Athlete Named ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District

AURORA, Ill. November 2, 2007 - The Aurora University Spartan men’s soccer senior defender Drew Taylor (DeKalb, IL/DeKalb H.S.) was named to the ESPN the Magazine District V Academic All-District First-Team.

To be considered for the honor, the nominated student-athletes are required to maintain a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade point average throughout their academic career at AU. Taylor moves on to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America ballot and will be among 96 College Division men’s soccer players across the country eligible for the All-America Teams.

Taylor, a history major at AU, was honored for his academic success as a student-athlete. Taylor is no stranger to post season academic recognition. In 2006 he was named by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America to the NSCAA All-North Central Region scholar athlete honor roll and Northern Athletics Conference Scholar-Athlete.

On the field he is a three-time All-Conference player (junior - Northern Athletics Conference/ sophomore and freshman - Northern Illinois-Iowa Conference) as a defender. As a freshman he was named the NIIC Newcomer of the Year.

Taylor anchors a defense that has 10 shutouts and a 0.80 goals against average. He has two goals, three assists with one game-winning goal.

The AU men’s soccer program has a 12-3-5 record and 8-0-2 and will take on Dominican University on Saturday, November 3, 2007 in the Northern Athletics Conference Tournament Championship. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m. in River Forest, IL.

The ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District teams are selected by CoSIDA member Sports Information Directors within the district based on the student-athletes’ academic prowess while being a steady influence on their respective athletic field.

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