Ressler Recognized as Big 12 Fall Scholar-Athlete

RESSLER'S 2016 HONORS
Name	Award
Rachel Ressler	NSCAA All-Central Region First Team
	First-Team All-Big 12
	Big 12 Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year
	Preseason All-Big 12 Team
	First-Team Academic All-Big 12

NORMAN — Oklahoma senior Rachel Ressler has earned yet another postseason accolade, receiving the 2016 Big 12 Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year award Thursday. The conference recognizes one student-athlete in each of its sports with the honor following a vote from head coaches.

Ressler, a chemical biosciences major from Phoenix, Ariz., boasts a 3.55 GPA. For her career, she boasts 100 percent participation in OU's matches, starting all 84 matches, including 23 as a senior. Ressler was a key part of an OU backline that allowed 22 goals in 2016, the fourth-fewest in OU history, and recorded a program-high-matching nine shutouts.

Ressler becomes the sixth Sooner student-athlete and first soccer player to receive the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award from the Big 12. Other Sooners to receive the honor are Marissa Beene (rowing, 2015-16),Ty Darlington (football, 2014-15), Sallie McLauren (volleyball, 2013-14), Gabe Ikard (football, 2013-14), Kevin Williams (outdoor track and field, 2012-13).

The Big 12 Conference established its Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in 2012-13. A recipient is named in each conference-sponsored sports. Every Big 12 institution nominates one individual per sport with the winners selected by a vote of the league head coaches for that sport, who are not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes. Scholar-Athlete of the Year nominees must be a junior or senior (athletic and academic standing), have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher, participate in at least 60 percent of the team's scheduled contests and have a minimum of one year in residence at the institution.

The award caps a successful season both on the field and in the classroom for OU soccer. In 2016, the Sooners rolled to a program-record 14 wins and six All-Big 12 selections and earned their first-ever victory in an NCAA Championship game with a 1-0 win over SMU in the first round. Ten Sooners were named to the Academic All-Big 12 teams, Liz Keester and Madeline Brem were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Seven Team, and the Sooners earned the NSCAA Team Academic Award for the seventh straight year.