DEARBORN, Mich. – Grant Baker, a senior for the University of Michigan-Dearborn men's soccer team, became the first student-athlete in program history to receive a national honor, it was announced on Monday.
Baker was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Academic NAIA All-America First Team, the first for a UM-Dearborn men's soccer student-athlete.
To be selected for the award, student-athletes are nominated by their institution's sports information director and voted upon by CoSIDA members from across the country. Unlike other academic awards, CoSIDA voters take into account performance in competition.
To be nominated a student-athlete must have played in at least half of their team's games and be a vital member of the program's success. The student-athlete must also have achieved sophomore academic standing, been enrolled at his institution for one full year and hold a minimum of a 3.30 GPA at the start of the season.
Baker was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team earlier this year and was selected to the All-America Team by the members of CoSIDA in a national vote comprised of all districts within the NAIA and NCAA.
The Brownstown, Mich., native helped lead the team's defense this season, adding two goals. He holds a 3.91 GPA in UM-Dearborn's highly-demanding college of engineering.
Baker is the third student-athlete in UM-Dearborn history to earn the award, joining men's cross country's Alex Krasuski in 2017-18 and baseball's Daniel Kerr in 2018-19.
