Rachel Shmagranoff Earns Purdue Calumet’s First-Ever Academic All-American Honor

PUC-PeregrinsWith her stellar performance in the classroom and on the field, Purdue University Calumet senior forward Rachel Shmagranoff was named to the College Division Capital One 2014 Academic All-America Women’s Soccer First Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

The all-America honor is the first in Purdue Calumet athletics history.

Shmagranoff (Munster, Ind./Munster) carries a 4.0 cumulative grade point average in biology, with a concentration in microbiology. The senior is set to graduate this December, a full semester early. She joins 10 others from around the country on the first team, and is one of five players with a perfect 4.0.

In just three seasons on the Peregrines women’s soccer team, Shmagranoff also made her mark in the record books, finishing as the career leader in points (48), assists (16), game-winning goals (4), games started (53), minutes played (3,824), shots on goal (66), shots attempted (110), and is ranked second in goals with 16.

This season, Shmagranoff finished with a team-best eight goals and added four assists to finish with 20 points for the Peregrines, who wrapped up the 2014 season with a 7-11 record and just one spot out of an appearance in the league postseason tournament.

She had three game-winning goals, including a thrilling score in the final seconds of a 3-2 win at Bethel, the same contest where she recorded her first career hat trick and just the third in school history.

The Capital One Academic All-America teams recognize the nation’s top student athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. Taylor University’s Amanda Roden was selected as the Academic All-America Player of the Year, while Trinity International’s Melissa Loretto joined Shmagranoff as the two Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference representatives on the all-American teams.