TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Jenna Nighswonger was named the ACC Scholar-Athlete of the year, and a program-high thirteen Florida State soccer players earned a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team on Wednesday. Leading the group was two-time honorees Lauren Flynn, Nighswonger, Beata Olsson, Maria Alagoa, Clara Robbins and Cristina Roque. Joining them are defenders Heather Gilchrist and Sophia Nguyen, midfielders Ran Iwai and Leilanni Nesbeth, and forwards Emma Bissell, Olivia Garcia, and Kaitlyn Zipay. Minimum academic requirements for selection to the All-ACC Academic Team are a 3.0 grade point average for the previous semester and a 3.0 cumulative average during one’s academic career. Athletic achievements – including playing in at least 50 percent of a teams games – during the most recent season are also considered in selecting the All-ACC Academic Team. This is what its all about. The ACC has top-level players and top-level academic institutions, so for Jenna to be named the absolute best of the best is truly a special honor for her, Head Coach Brian Pensky said. For so many of our athletes to be recognized is a tribute to how self-invested they are as individuals both on and off the field. Flynn, a political science major, played the second-most minutes on the team this past season as one of the main center-backs. Her on-field performances earned her several honors including being named to the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI Second Team. She’ll return next fall as one of the most experienced defenders. Nighswonger, a business finance major, scored 19 goals and 34 assists in her incredible career and was named the 2022 United Soccer Coaches Scholar Player of the Year. She recorded 16 assists this past season and 34 in her time in Tallahassee, both second-most in school history. NJ/NY Gotham FC selected her fourth overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft where she’ll begin her professional career. Olsson, an environment and society major, scored 6 goals and 3 assists this past season including the game-winner against Pittsburgh in the Third Round of the NCAA Tournament. She earned an All-ACC Third Team honor along with being named the NCAA Elite 90 Winner. The dangerous forward will return next season to add to her 27 career goals. Alagoa, a business marketing major, contributed 3 goals and 3 assists including scoring her first career goal against Rice. She was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team and will look to man the midfield next season as she becomes an upperclassman. Robbins, a graduate earning her masters in athlete coaching, finished her collegiate career after playing 110 games, the most in school history and second most in women’s college soccer. Her final season included being named to the All-ACC Second Team and the United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region Second Team. The North Carolina Courage selected her ninth overall in the 2023 NWSL Draft where she’ll begin her professional career. Roque, a business marketing major, recorded seven shutouts, 12 victories, and 60 saves this past season. She was named to the All-ACC First Team and ACC Goalkeeper of the Year. She’ll be returning for her senior season next fall to build on her already stellar career in the net. Defensive freshmen Gilchrist and Nguyen, both business marketing majors, kept 11 clean sheets in their 23 games in their opening season. Gilchrist was named into the All-ACC Freshman Team while Nguyen scored a goal and an assist. Both will be returning for their sophomore seasons. First-time honorees Iwai, a sociology major, and Nesbeth, a sports management major, made their impacts on both sides of the ball. Iwai played at left back this season and racked up the third-most minutes on the team. Nesbeth was named to the All-ACC Second Team as the holding midfielder and contributed 6 goals and 2 assists. Both are expected to return for their senior seasons. Bissell, a sports management major, played in 22 games this season with a memorable third goal in the 3-3 classic shootout against Notre Dame in the ACC Semifinals. Garcia, a music major, scored three goals and five assists in her first collegiate season. Zipay, played in 22 games this season with 2 goals and an assist and earned a place on the CoSIDA Academic All-District. For updates and exclusive content, follow the Noles on Twitter (FSU_Soccer), Instagram (nolesoccer) and Facebook (Florida State Seminoles Soccer).