FULL COSIDA RELEASE

AUSTIN, Texas -- On Wednesday afternoon, Capital University's Mitch Hughes was named to the NCAA Division III CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team as voted on by athletics communications professionals across the country. 

Hughes, a senior from Clintonville, Ohio, adds this prestigious award to his deep locker of career accolades. Already this year, Hughes was named to the All-Ohio Athletic Conference second team and to the CoSIDA Academic All-District first team. 

His selection to the CoSIDA Academic All-America team makes Hughes the first men's soccer player in Capital history to earn the award from CoSIDA. He joins Justin Niswonger (2017) and Bob Weisgarber (2013) as the only Scholar or Academic All-Americans in the men's soccer program history. Further adding his name to the Capital record books, Mitch becomes Capital's 42nd Scholar or Academic All-American and the first since Austin Schreck and Caleb Cox earned the award for men's basketball in 2019. 

In the classroom, Mitch is completing his degree in Biology with a pre-medicine track. He holds a 3.96 cumulative GPA. At Capital, he has been a recipient of the Presidential Award every semester, and is on track to graduate summa cum laude this December. Within the OAC, Mitch has twice been named to the Academic All-Conference team.

On the field, this season, Mitch served as the team captain and started all 13 matches in which he played before an injury cut his season short. During his time on the pitch, Mitch scored two goals and assisted on four others from his role in the center of midfield. Across his career, Mitch started all 41 matches he played in for Capital after transferring in after his freshman year. He scored eight goals and handed out five assists and was an All-OAC second team honoree all three seasons. 

Outside the classroom and off the soccer field, Mitch participated in and presented research on COVID-19 at the Capital Symposium, receiving high remarks from the attendees. Additionally, he works at Mount Carmel East Hospital in patient care. 

ABOUT THE AWARD
The Collegiate Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) members nominate student-athletes based on a set academic and athletic criteria. Once nominations are made, members of CoSIDA from the entire United States vote for the Academic All-District and All-America teams. In order to qualify for the All-America award, student-athletes must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher, excel as an impactful member of their respective team on the field, and have been named to the Academic All-District first team.