Lady Jackets’ Merrill-Johnson Earns Academic Honor (Nov. 8, 2004)

BILLINGS, MT - Montana State University-Billings women’s soccer player Margot Merrill-Johnson has been selected to the 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-District VII College Division Women’s Soccer First Team.  The senior from Salt Lake City, UT, led the Yellowjackets to a school record 12 wins this season, breaking numerous school records along the way.

The College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America program divides the country into eight districts.  Sports Information Directors from each of the eight districts select their Academic All-District teams with student-athletes from the eight first teams advancing to national balloting for Academic All-America honors.  Schools from Montana are part of District VII, which also includes Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alberta and Saskatchewan.  Nominees for the District VII College Division can come from any Division II, Division III, or NAIA school in any of those states.

Merrill-Johnson is a double major in History and Sociology with a 3.88 cumulative grade point average.  She played in and started every game of her collegiate career, setting the school record for both at 70 games.  In 2004, Merrill-Johnson scored a school-record 11 goals and 28 points en route to breaking the MSU Billings career points record.  Of her 30 career goals, 11 were game-winners.

The Yellowjackets finished the 2004 season with an overall record of 12-4-3.  It was the first winning season in the program’s history.  MSU Billings also achieved its first ever regional ranking in 2004 and could finish ranked in the top ten when the final regional rankings are released later this week.

Academic All-District VII First Team
F - Sara Murray, Truman State
F - Lindsey Tiemeyer, Maryville Univ.
F - Michelle Wieser, Loras College
MF - Lauren Cepicky, Truman State
MF - Margot Merrill-Johnson, MSU Billings
MF - Jami Wheelock, Central College
D - Jodi Coleman, Buena Vista Univ.
D - Jennifer Delf, Maryville Univ.
D - Melissa Riddle, Buena Vista Univ.
D - Rachel Tushner, Nebraska-Omaha
GK - Charlotte Felber, Washington Univ.