Dec. 20, 2004

Cape Girardeau, Mo. - Jen Cross, senior defender on the Southeast Missouri State University soccer team, has been named to the 2004 CoSIDA Academic All-America Women's Soccer Team that was recently featured in ESPN The Magazine.

A starter on defense for the Southeast soccer team that ended the season with a record of 11-6-2, Cross was a four-year starter who missed the 2001 season with a knee injury. She was an honorable mention all-OVC choice as a freshman in 2000.

An Academic All-District second team selection in 2002 and 2003, Cross is a four-time OVC Academic Medal of Honor winner, a four-time Southeast Scholar Athlete and a four-time member of the OVC Commissioner's Honor Roll. She has a perfect 4.0 grade point average while majoring in education.

Cross is president of the Southeast student-athlete advisory committee.

"Jen Cross is truely a student-athlete and certainly deserving of being named an Academic All-American," said Southeast coach Heather Nelson. "She was a key part of our defense in all four of the seasons she played."

Cross was a first team CoSIDA Academic All-District selection this season.