Nov. 18, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Senior forward Jason Yeisley (Allentown, Pa.) has been honored on the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
Awarded in recognition for achievements earned both on the field and in the classroom, Yeisley becomes the second Nittany Lion soccer player to be named to the ESPN The Magazine first team in the last two years, as midfielder Ryan Badaracco was a 2008 honoree.
Yeisley, the team captain for the 2009 season, has continued the Penn State men's soccer tradition of academic excellence and will graduate in December with a degree in management and an impressive 3.61 grade point average. In total, Nittany Lions have been named to academic all-region/district or all-America teams on 30 occasions.
Yeisley is having a standout senior year, leading Penn State to a 12-7-2 record, its best since 2005, a runner-up finish at the 2009 Big Tournament, and a seventh seed in the upcoming 2009 NCAA Championship. He ranks second on the team in goals (8) and points (tie, 21) and is third in assists with five. In recognition of his stellar season, Yeisley was recently named the 2009 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and was unanimously selected to the All-Big Ten First Team.
Also valued for his strength of character and leadership abilities, Yeisley was Penn State's 2009 recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award, an honor bestowed on one player from each team in the conference who best reflects the principles of sportsmanship and fair play established by the Big Ten.
Yeisley is Penn State's leading active scorer, totaling 24 goals and 16 assists (64 points) in 62 career games. A three-time team captain, he has overcome two knee injuries, including one that cost him the entire 2008 season, to return to All-America form in his senior year. In recognition of his will to triumph over adversity, Yeisley was presented with the True Grit Award at the 2009 Penn State Student-Athlete Advisory Board Academic Achievement Awards Banquet. He is also a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award and a candidate for the NCAA Top VIII Award.