2020-21 Academic All-America® Women's Soccer Teams Release (PDF)

AUSTIN, Tex. – Just over a month after being awarded an Academic All-District selection, Lira Mathes was named an Academic All-American first-team member by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Tuesday.

The defender is the fourth Eagle all-time to receive the title of CoSIDA Academic All-American and the first repeat award winner for C-N since Stacey Thomas in 2005 and 2006. Joining Mathes and Thomas as CoSIDA Academic All-Americans for Carson-Newman are Jules Herrity in 2016 and Lauren Wade in 2017.

"What an amazing achievement to not only win it once but twice. Lira has kept her standards extremely high on the pitch and also in the classroom as well," Carson-Newman women's soccer head coach Simon Duffy said. "We are excited that she will be returning this Fall."

Mathes, a biology major with an emphasis in pre-med, knows the importance of finding the balance between school and sport. She maintained a 4.0 GPA and just graduated in May with her Bachelor's and will begin an MBA in Nonprofit Leadership at C-N in the Fall.

Mathes, a 6-1 defender from Knoxville, Tenn., finished her Carson-Newman career with a combined 23 matches played, collecting 15 starts over her two years on the team. In her two years as an Eagle, Mathes compiled 10 total individual points and an impressive five goals (including three in 2021) for her position. Throughout her two years as an Eagle, Mathes delivered the game-winner to knock off then-No. 6 Lincoln Memorial in 2019 before compiling an individual brace against Mars Hill on March 4 this past year as part of C-N's dominant 6-0 win.

Mathes is one of four athletes to repeat as CoSIDA Academic All-Americans alongside Sara Sandberg from Flagler College, Mackenzie Dawes from Ferris State University, and Jenny Vetter from Minnesota State University, Mankato all were part of the 2019 Academic All-American teams.

As she maintained a 4.0 GPA, Mathes put herself as one of only 10 student-athletes across all three Academic All-American teams who maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA, respectively. As part of the first team, Mathes contributes to an overall 3.95 GPA for all first-team members.

Carson-Newman has produced 53 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans since softball's Brandi Hardin garnered first-team honors in 1992. Mathes and men's soccer Thaylan Silva are the first two Eagles to earn plaudits for the 2020-21 academic year.

The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2020-21 Division II Academic All-America® program.