Patriot named D1 Women's Soccer Academic All-American

Emily Brandenburg, a senior defender and goalkeeper on the Francis Marion University women's soccer team, has been named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America Team.

A native of Martinez, Ga., Brandenburg has compiled a perfect 4.00 grade point average as a political science major.  A third-team selection, she becomes the third Academic All-American in the young history of the women's soccer program, but the first since FMU moved to NCAA Division I affiliation.

On the playing field, she appeared in all 16 matches this past season for the Patriots and made 10 starts.  She played five matches in goal, making four starts, and recorded a 3.25 goals against average with 28 saves.  She also played in the field as a defender in 12 matches, including six starting roles.

Her career totals include 44 matches played and a 2.53 GAA (in goal) with 123 saves.

In addition to playing soccer, Brandenburg is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority, and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, Omicron Delta Kappa, and Chi Alpha Sigma (national college athlete) honor societies.  She has served as head delegate for National Model United Nations China, and is a member of the Student Leadership Advisory Board.  She has been involved with FMU's Campus Outreach, the College Republicans, and the Honors Student Association; served as a University Marshall and an Orientation Leader; and was named Miss Congeniality at the 2007 Miss FMU Pageant.  She has been named to both the Peach Belt Conference Presidential and FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic honor rolls each of the last three years.

She completed an internship in the United States Senate during the spring of 2009.  A current resident of West Columbia, she was named the 2009 South Carolina Cherry Blossom Princess and represented the state in the 97th-annual national Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington during March. She represented FMU as an honor student ambassador to Germany in March 2007.

Brandenburg is a graduate of Lakeside High School in Augusta, Ga., where she was a first-team All-Area selection on the soccer field.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

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   Emily Brandenburg