UMBC red-shirt sophomore goalkeeper Billy Heavner earned the inaugural America East Conference Elite 18 Award, honoring student-athletes who exemplify excellence both in their sport and in the classroom. The awards were presented at the conclusion of the league’s six fall championships

The Elite 18 Award Program was established by the conference in June 2013 for implementation in the 2014-15 academic year to honor the highest achievement in academics and athletics by a student-athlete in each America East sponsored sport.

Heavner maintains a perfect 4.00 GPA while majoring in financial economics. He took over the starting position mid-season and has posted a record of 10-1-2, leading the Retrievers to the third round of the NCAA Championships. Heavner is currently eighth in the nation in save percentage (84.3%) and 11 th in goals against average (0.59).

Moreover, both the UMBC men’s and women’s soccer teams earned NSCAA Team Academic Award for the 2013-14 academic year.

Across the nation and throughout all divisions, a total of 861 soccer teams (279 men, 582 women) posted a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher, thereby earning the distinction. Of that total, 188 schools had both their men’s and women’s programs recognized, including both Pete Caringii’s and Leslie Wray’s squads.

The men posted a grade-point average of 3.08, while the women recorded a mark of 3.46.

Tags: Athletics