Nov. 19, 2008

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The team leader in assists for the No. 21 Kentucky men’s soccer team, junior forward Chad Hagerty, has been selected second-team ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America, the College Sports Information Directors Association of America announced on Wednesday.

Hagerty, a native of Louisville, Ky., led the Wildcats with six assists in 2008, adding one goal. A forward, Hagerty carried the Wildcats on his back during UK’s school-record 10-game unbeaten streak, totaling all of his scoring during the streak. Hagerty, who played in 15 games with nine starts in 2008, played in 20 games with 16 starts during UK’s 12-win 2008 campaign, logging 1135 minutes, firing 21 shots on the year.

Hagerty becomes UK’s fourth all-time Academic All-America selection and the first since Chris McAlpine and Ilkka Jantti earned the honor in 2001-02. Hagerty, a 2006-07 CoSIDA Academic All-District selection, had earned a perfect 4.0 GPA as a Kinesiology-Exercise Science major, with plans on attending physical therapy school upon graduation. Hagerty and Tyler Burns were selected to the 2008 Conference USA All-Academic team, the second consecutive year Hagerty has earned that league accolade.

To be eligible for nomination, student-athletes must have participated in at least 50 percent of their team’s games, be of sophomore standing athletically and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.3.