Dec. 12, 2008

UTEP forward Tameka Sumter has been rewarded for her fantastic junior campaign, as she was selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) all-region third team the organization announced recently. It marks the second straight year that Sumter has been so distinguished.

The Miner program has now been recognized with 58 league and national athletic honors since the start of the 2005 season.

That is a tremendous honor for Tameka to be recognized by the coaches in our region as one of the top 33 players," UTEP head coach Kevin Cross said. "She deserves that honor after leading Conference USA in goals. I am very proud of her."

The native of San Antonio, Texas, enjoyed a banner campaign, pacing C-USA in goals (10), game-wining goals (four) and points (23). She was consistent throughout the entire campaign, with six of the tallies and two of the helpers coming during C-USA play … the six goals tied as the most of any player in league only tilts, an impressive feat considering the opposition marked her with top defender every game.

The recognition for Sumter is the latest of what has been a string of postseason accolades for the Orange and Blue. Sumter and Chelsea Winbush garnered placement on the All C-USA teams, earning spots on the first and second squads, respectively. Furthermore, Cara Nordin and Melissa Desilets were recognized for their outstanding achievements-both on the pitch and in the classroom- with their selection to the C-USA Academic All Conference Teams.  

Winbush, who switched to midfield early in the campaign, was a quick study. She tallied 15 points (four goals/seven assists in those 13 games at mid, including two match-winning goals. Overall, she was third in the conference in helpers despite playing only 13 games at position.   

Nordin led the conference with 11 assists-the third-highest total in school history- in addition to posting two goals for a total of 15 points. Nordin excelled as a student also, evidenced by her cumulative GPA of 3.62 in psychology.

Desilets was a key contributor for the Orange and Blue, appearing in all 21 games (one goal, two assists) while playing wherever the coaching staff asked her to do. She also took care of business academically, boasting a cumulative GPA of 4.0 in pre-science.