GREENWOOD, Ind. – Junior Ryan Bechtel of the St. Olaf College men's soccer team was honored as a Second Team Academic All-American ®, as selected by the College Sports Communicators and announced on Tuesday.

Bechtel was one of 33 student-athletes from across the country named to the three CSC Academic All-America ® Teams and one of 17 of the honorees who were also named to the United Soccer Coaches All-America Teams this fall. He is the second student-athlete in program history to earn CSC Academic All-America ® honors, joining his older brother, Shea '24, who was a two-time honoree in 2023 and 2024.

The Academic All-America ® Teams honor the top student-athletes in the country for their performances on the field and in the classroom. In order to be eligible, student-athletes must hold a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.50, must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, and must have competed in 90 percent – or started in at least 66 percent – of their institution's games this season. Student-athletes were nominated by their institutions and then voted on by CSC members.

A quantitative economics major with a 3.83 cumulative GPA, Bechtel collected several other accolades this fall, including being named a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-American, a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-Region IX selection, the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Offensive Player of the Year, and an All-MIAC selection for the second season in a row. In 25 games this season, he racked up 11 goals and 13 assists for 35 points to rank fourth in NCAA Division III in assists, while helping the Oles to a MIAC regular-season title and the program's second-ever run to the national semifinals.