PEORIA, Ill. -- Bradley Soccer junior defender Bobby Smith (Springfield, Ill./Sacred Heart-Griffin H.S.) has been voted to the ESPN Academic All-District V Men's Soccer Team, making him eligible for ESPN Academic All-America consideration, according to a district-wide vote of the College Sports Information Directors of America announced today.
Sporting a 3.90 cumulative grade point average as an accounting major, Smith has started 47 of the 51 games he has played for the Braves in his first three years at Bradley. Sidelined by an injury to start this season, Smith has started the last 14 games, including the last eight in a new central defender role while helping the Braves to a 4-3-1 record.
Tuesday's award is the most recent academic honor for Smith, who was a 2009 honorable mention Missouri Valley Conference Scholar-Athlete. Having earned a spot on the Bradley Athletic Director's Honor Roll during each of his first four college semesters, Smith also was the Prairie Farms/MVC Scholar-Athlete of the Week Sept. 9, 2009.
Smith and the Braves will play their regular-season home finale tonight when they host in-state rival Western Illinois in a 7 o'clock kickoff at Shea Stadium. After visiting Creighton in the regular-season finale Saturday, Bradley will host the 2010 State Farm MVC Men's Soccer Championship Nov. 10, 12, 14 at Shea Stadium. Although final seeds will not be determined until after Saturday's games, the Braves will play in the 6 p.m. quarterfinal game Nov. 10.
