AUSTIN, Texas -- Senior defender Delaney Bittner (York, Pa./Red Lion Area Senior) of the Shepherd University women's soccer team has been named to the 2024 Academic All-American® Women's Soccer Team, selected by College Sports Communicators. Bittner gained Academic All-American® honors for the second time in her career as she was a first team honoree in 2022.

Bittner, a third team selection, boasts a 3.92 grade point average as a health promotion and exercise science major. She helped lead Shepherd to a recorded setting 18-2-4 season as she appeared and started in all 24 games. The 2024 PSAC East Defender of the Year recorded three assists for three points.  

2024 Academic All-American® Women's Soccer Team Division II
NCAA DIVISION II CSC Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year:
Anna Lantz, Rockhurst University
FIRST TEAM Pos. Name School Yr. GPA Major
GK Liv Riddel Jefferson University Sr. 3.87 Pre-Medical Studies
D Ava Harman Colorado School of Mines Gr. 3.71 Applied Mathematics & Statistics (U) / Data Science
D Madison Keenan Molloy University So. 3.93 Speech Pathology
D Aino Martikainen (4) Franklin Pierce University Gr. 3.90 MBA in Health Administration
D Lillie Rusher Catawba College Sr. 4.00 Literature
D Catherine Smith Frostburg State Sr. 3.71 Nursing
M Anna Grossheim (1)(4) UNC Pembroke Gr. 3.99/3.75 Public Administration
M Kylie Morin Catawba College Gr. 4.00/4.00 Business Administration
M Claudia Peirce Franklin Pierce University Jr. 3.94 Health Science
F Anna Lantz (3) Rockhurst University Jr. 4.00 Molecular Biology
F Reese McDermott Colorado School of Mines Sr. 3.95 Quantitative Biosciences & Engineering
F Sydney Tucker Concord University Sr. 3.88 Biology

SECOND TEAM Pos. Name School Yr. GPA Major
GK Keely Wieczorek Colorado Mesa University So. 3.89 Exercise Science
D Lotte Brands Maryville University Sr. 3.79 Exercise Science
D Kelly Havens Catawba College Gr. 4.00/4.00 Sports Management & Accounting
D Jennifer Limon Cal State Monterey Bay Sr. 3.97 Social & Behavioral Science
M Grace Emanuel Gannon University So. 3.80 Occupational Therapy
M Rebecca Kotula (1)(5) East Stroudsburg University Gr. 4.00/4.00 Mgmt. & Leadership in Organizational Behavior
M Brooke Pietila Northern Michigan University Sr. 3.89 Sports Science
F Teani Arakawa University of Hawai'i at Hilo Sr. 3.57 Finance
F Dani Hicks Ashland University Jr. 3.96 Exercise Science
F Kristina Syragakis Francis Marion University Jr. 3.55 Sports Marketing

THIRD TEAM Pos. Name School Yr. GPA Major
GK Hannah Goetzer Saint Leo University So. 4.00 Biology
D Delaney Bittner (4) Shepherd University Sr. 3.92 Health Promotion & Exercise Science
D Kendall Blackmon (3) University of West Florida Sr. 4.00 Special Education
D Naomi Ellis Point Loma Nazarene University Sr. 4.00/4.00 Master of Business Administration
D Laura Holt Wingate University Jr. 3.94 Sociology
D Danielle Paulson Cal State San Marcos Jr. 3.98 Biological Science
M Abby Fotheringham Colorado Mesa University Sr. 4.00 Business Administration
M Grace Foyer Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Sr. 3.88 Accounting & Finance
M Sophia Haase Concordia- St. Paul So. 4.00 Exercise Science
F McKinley Mendenhall (6) Ashland University Sr. 3.97 Exercise Science
F Ashley Shimberg Florida Southern College Gr. 4.00/4.00 Business Administration (G)
F Mya Swinton (3) University of West Florida Sr. 3.93 Sports Administration
(1) = 1st team Academic All-America® in 2023
(3) = 3rd team Academic All-America® in 2023
(4) = 1st team Academic All-America® in 2022
(5) = 2nd team Academic All-America® in 2022
(6) = 3rd team Academic All-America® in 2022