Milwaukee's Bell, Valparaiso's Vervynckt Garner First Team Academic All-American Honors

Milwaukee’s Laurie Bell (Poynton, England) and Valparaiso’s Todd Vervynckt (Plymouth, Ind.) have been named to the 2013 Capital One Academic All-American Division I Men’s Soccer First Team, as announced on Tuesday, Nov. 26 by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Bell carries a 3.72 GPA as an English and journalism major and is the first Panther soccer player to earn the academic distinction since 2006. This fall, he was named the Horizon League Co-Player of the Year and collected First Team All-Horizon League accolades. Bell led the offensive attack for the Panthers and was named the Horizon League Offensive Player of the Year posting a league-best 30 points and 13 goals.

Vervynckt maintains a 3.98 GPA as a mechanical engineering major and becomes the first Crusader in the history of the men’s soccer program to receive the honor. On the field, he started in each of the matches that he appeared in and finished second on the team in goals. Vervynckt was heavily relied on to provide defensive balance, versatility and consistency to the team.

The 2013-14 Capital One Academic All-District Men’s Soccer Teams recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. In order to be eligible for the team, the student-athlete must be at least sophomore status, be either a starter or key reserve and have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.30.