ST LOUIS -- For the first time in program history, a UNI player has been named the Missouri Valley Conference Scholar Athlete of the Year in women's soccer.
Junior forward Lauren Heinsch has been named one of two Scholar-Athlete of the Year by MVC sports information directors. Heinsch shares the honor with Missouri State forward Grace O'Keefe as both led their teams offense while earning a 4.00 GPA in difficult majors.
Heinsch is a biology major with an emphasis in pre-medicine who has been named to the UNI Deans List for the past three semesters. Along with UNI specific academic honors, Heinsch received a MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award at the end of the 2021-22 athletic year.
As a forward, Heinsch led the Panthers in goals (5), points (12), shots (65), shots on goal (26) and penalty kick goals (2). Heinsch also led the Valley in shots and shots per game while being in the top five in points, points per game, goals, and goals per game. For the 2022 season Heinsch was named to the All-MVC First Team along with the preseason All-MVC Second Team.
Two other UNI players were named to scholar-athlete teams. Senior midfielder Lizzie Mewes was named to the Scholar Athlete First Team for the second time in her career. Over the season Mewes scored in the Panthers tie against Evansville and in their semifinal loss to Missouri State while assisting on one goal. Academically Mewes received a MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award and has spent three straight semesters on the UNI Dean's List with a 3.91 GPA in biology.
Junior forward Ashley Harrington was named a Scholar Athlete Honorable Mention for her play and academic performance in 2022. With a 3.77 GPA in physics, Harrington is a MVC Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award recipient and has spent four semesters on the UNI Deans List. On the field, Harrington led the Panthers in assists with four over the season while scoring a game winning goal. Harrington was also in the top 10 in the MVC in shots, shots per game, assists, and assists per game.
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