AUSTIN, Texas – Senior
Shea Bechtel of the St. Olaf College men's soccer team earned his second consecutive College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-America ® accolade by landing a spot on the first team, as announced on Tuesday.
After becoming the program's first CSC Academic All-American as a second-team honoree last team, Bechtel was one of 12 first-team selections this season, as voted on by CSC members. The senior is one of six multiple-time Academic All-America ® honorees in any sport at St. Olaf and is one of seven Oles to be a first-team selection in any sport.
The CSC Academic All-America ® program recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. In order to be recognized, nominees must be at least a sophomore in academic and athletic standings, must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.50, and must compete in 90 percent or start in 66 percent of their institution's games during the season.
One of nine multiple-time CSC Academic All-America ® honorees in NCAA Division III and one of four on the first team, Bechtel is majoring in quantitative economics and will graduate in May after putting together the most decorated career in the history of St. Olaf men's soccer. On the field, Bechtel was a two-time United Soccer Coaches All-American (2023, 2024), a one-time D3soccer.com All-American (2022), a four-time United Soccer Coaches All-Region IX honoree, a four-time All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) selection, a two-time MIAC Offensive Player of the Year, and the 2021 MIAC Rookie of the Year.
Over his four-year career, Bechtel compiled 42 goals, 45 assists, 129 points, 15 game-winning goals, 260 shots, and 129 shots on goal while starting 91 of the 93 games he played in. He concluded his career as the program's all-time leader in each of those categories and is one of 23 men's soccer student-athletes in NCAA Division III history to record 40 goals and 40 assists in their career. Bechtel was instrumental in helping the Oles to a 69-15-10 (.787) overall record, a 33-2-5 (.888) MIAC record, three regular-season MIAC championships, three MIAC Playoff titles, and four NCAA Tournament appearances, including St. Olaf's second-ever NCAA team title in 2023 and back-to-back "Sweet 16" berths in 2021 and 2022.
This fall, Bechtel started all 23 of St. Olaf's games and recorded 35 points on 13 goals and nine assists while helping guide the Oles to MIAC regular-season and MIAC Playoff titles, as well as a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Academically, Bechtel is a three-time CSC Academic All-District selection, a two-time Academic All-MIAC honoree, a 2023 Chi Alpha Sigma inductee, and a 2023 United Soccer Coaches First Team Scholar All-North/Central Region selection, in addition to his two CSC Academic All-America ® accolades.
