Women’s Soccer Lands Six on CSC Academic All-District Team

LEXINGTON, Ky. – College Sports Communicators announced its Women’s Soccer Academic All-District selections on Tuesday, a group which includes Kentucky student-athletes Mia Bookhard, Grace Hoytink, Marz Josephson, Maddie Kemp, Katherine Truitt, and Makala Woods.

More on the Kentucky women’s soccer Academic All-District honorees can be read below.

Mia Bookhard: A fifth year from Upper Marlboro, Maryland, Bookhard has played in all 20 games this season earning 11 starts. The winger has played a total of 1,127 minutes this season and has two goals and one assist for five points this year. Her goal against Oklahoma on September 29th ensured Kentucky got a vital point on the road in their fight to qualify for the Southeastern Conference tournament. She is currently seeking a master’s degree in chemistry.

Grace Hoytink: A sophomore from Menomonee Falls, Wisc., Hoytink started in all but one game this season appearing in 19 matches for the Wildcats. The wingback recorded an assist in Kentucky’s victory over Detroit Mercy back on Aug. 22 and is fourth on the team in total minutes at 1,492. Often doing the defensive work that is not on the stat sheet, Hoytink is held in high regard by head coach Troy Fabiano. Hoytink is currently studying business at UK.

Marz Josephson: Josephson served as Kentucky’s starting goalkeeper for the second straight season, playing just about all the 1,819 minutes in net. She currently has seven shutouts on the season and a 0.67 GAA while making a season-high seven saves, including two from the penalty spot, in the victory over West Virginia in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. A team captain, Josephson is a native of Apex, N.C., and is pursuing her master’s degree in counseling.

Maddie Kemp: A graduate transfer from Gonzaga, Kemp has started all 20 games so far this season for Kentucky, tallying 15 points on five goals and five assists. The Camas, Washington leads the team in assists and ranks second in goals scored. Kemp scored the equalizing goal that eventually saw Kentucky go into a penalty shootout victory over West Virginia in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. At UK, Kemp is enrolled in a graduate certificate program in high performance coaching.

Katherine Truitt: Truitt spent the 2023 season on the sideline after redshirting her freshman year but has since grown into the starting center back Troy Fabiano trusts. The Lexington native has started in all 20 matches so far this season and ranks third in the team in minutes played with 1,670. The sophomore is studying Exercise Science at Kentucky.

Makala Woods: A graduate transfer from Illinois, Woods is having the season of her career. The forward leads the team with 11 goals this season and one assist for 23 points. Woods was named the program’s first SEC Newcomer of the Year for her accomplishments throughout the season. The Monroe, Ohio native is seeking a graduate certificate in social theory at UK.

About the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Award

The criteria for College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections in the sport of women’s soccer are as follows:

• Be at least a sophomore academically and athletically
• An undergraduate student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA
• A graduate student-athlete must have at least a 3.50 cumulative GPA as both an undergraduate and graduate-student
• Transfer student-athletes who are in their first semester at new institution must have at least a 3.50 GPA at their former institution
• Student-athletes must compete in 90 percent of the institution’s games played or start in at least 66 percent of games played
• Institutions are limited to six award recipients

A sub-committee will evaluate the candidacy of College Sports Communicators Academic All-District awardees to determine if they will advance to be considered for Academic All-American status. The title of Academic All-American is reserved for student-athletes who perform at an elite level in their sport and in the classroom. Josephson, Kemp, and Woods all advanced to the Academic All-Americans ballot and the winners for women’s soccer will be announced on Dec. 11.

For the latest on UK Women’s Soccer, follow the Wildcats on Facebook, Instagram, X and at UKathletics.com.