Mitchell Leap ’12, a health and physical education major, followed in the footsteps of his parents, Bill ’86 and Renee Kreider Leap ’85, and attended EMU after a successful soccer career at Eastern Mennonite School in Harrisonburg, a city he “always liked.” His mother has worked in EMU’s financial aid office since 1986. “I’d been around EMU all my life, and I thought it would be a good place to continue my education and play soccer.” 

During his four years as a forward under head men’s soccer coach Roger Mast, Leap was a two-time All-ODAC First Team honoree, earning the distinction in 2009 and 2011, and made the Second Team in 2008. He received VaSID All-State First Team honors in 2011 and VaSID All-State Second Team honors in 2008 and 2009. One of the most prolific scorers in EMU men’s soccer history, Leap ranks fourth all-time in the Royals’ record book for career goals (35) and fifth for total points (80).

Leap looks back fondly on the tight-knit campus community at EMU. “There’s value in attending a place where you feel like you know everybody and everybody knows you.” His connection to EMU Men’s Soccer continued after graduation: his brother, Parker Leap ’16, also played forward for the Royals, and his cousin, Justin Carey MBA ’21, has served as head coach since 2022. 

Today, Leap lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, with his wife of nine years, Amber, and their three children—Rory (6), Rhema (3), and Mesa (1). He works in full-time ministry with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as area representative for the City of Lynchburg and Amherst County. 

Leap will be honored at a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. in the MainStage Theater (University Commons 170) during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit emu.edu/homecoming.

˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř’s fall athletes ended their seasons with more than 20 individual honors.

EMU’s field hockey team finished 10-7 overall, notching its best overall record since 2011.

• Defender Brandy Troutman (senior, Recreation and Sports Management, Mountville, Pa./Hempfield) earned her fourth consecutive Second Team All-ODAC honor and ended her EMU career with an appearance in the NFHCA 2022 Victory Sports Tours/Division III Senior Game. She ranked in the top-four in all three major offensive categories, finishing third in total points (41) and assists (11) and fourth in goals with 15. Those numbers were all career-highs for the fifth-year senior, who played a larger role in the Royals offense this year.
• Attacker Elizabeth Longacre (junior, accounting and business administration, Quakertown, Pa./Dock Mennonite Academy) was Third Team All-ODAC.

Six soccer athletes earned College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors:

• Ariel Bonilla (junior, history and political science, Richmond, Va./Huguenot)
• Aja Laun, (sophomore, nursing, San Antonio, Tx./Claudia Taylor Johnson)
• Ashley Catalano, (sophomore, nursing, Stephens City, Va./Sherando)
• Abigail Forrest, (sophomore, pre-med, Winchester, Va./Millbrook)
• Kaden Schrock (sophomore, biology, Dalton, Ohio/Central Christian
• Mesa Dula (junior, accounting and business administration, Lancaster, Pa./Lancaster Mennonite).

Women’s volleyball advanced to the ODAC quarterfinals, falling to eventual runner-up Averett. 

• Captain Lizzy Kirkton (junior, business administration and organizational leadership, Goshen, Ind./Goshen) and Megan Miller (junior, biology, Millersburg, Ohio/Central Christian) earned CSC Academic All-District honors. 
• Paris Hutchinson (junior, recreation and sport management, Waynesboro, Va./Wilson Memorial) earned her third straight all conference honor, this time to the All-ODAC Third-Team.

Both men’s and women’s cross country teams finished fifth in the ODAC.  

• Bellamy Immanuel (sophomore,  mechanical engineering, Allentown, Pa./William Allen) ended with an NCAA South/Southeast All Region performance. He was also named ODAC Runner of the Week Oct. 11.
• Clay Kauffman (senior, environmental science, Broadway, Va./Broadway) earned ODAC Runner of the Week recognition Sept. 27.
• Lucy Unzicker (junior, Spanish, Benson, Ill./Roanoke-Benson) was ODAC Runner of the Week Oct. 11. 
• Vanessa Gardiner (junior, environmental science, Springfield, Va./John R. Lewis) nabbed Second Team All-ODAC honors.

The women’s triathlon team finished fifth at the 2022 National Championships.

•  Jenna Weaver (sophomore, nursing, Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite) earned 11th place at nationals; third place at the national qualifier meet, and College Triathlon Coaches Association (CTCA) Second Team All-American honors.
• Vanessa Gardiner was 13th place at the national meet, fourth place at the national qualifier meet, and CTCA Second Team All-American honors.
• Jessica Buckwalter, a graduate student in the MA in Counseling program, was 16th at the national championships, sixth place at the national qualifier, and a CTCA Honorable Mention All-American.

Photos by Scott Eyre/EMU.

The award is nominated and voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America, or CoSIDA for short, and recognizes the top academic and athletic talent across the nation. Only 33 women were selected to this year’s three Academic All-America teams.

Sanchez earns the honor after her senior season, one that caps off a career where she was a prominent figure on the pitch for the women’s soccer team and in the classroom, consistently on the dean’s list and earning a 4.0 GPA.

Sanchez has rounded out her time at EMU with a plethora of awards during her four-year stint, one that includes multiple ODAC All-Academic Awards, Academic All-District Awards, and the EMU President’s Award, EMU’s most prestigious award for a student-athlete.

“Firstly, I am beyond honored to be a member of the Academic All-America team,” Sanchez said on her selection. “Being selected to a group of just 33 scholar-athletes feels surreal. God has truly blessed me in my academic and athletic careers at EMU.”

Sanchez notes the help of her support system throughout her time at EMU.

“There are so many people who have supported me in my collegiate athletics career,” she states. “Specifically, I want to thank my parents and sisters, coaches Ted Erickson and Sheldon Rice, my amazing teammates, and most of all, my husband, John.”

While excelling in the classroom, she was also a consistent force on the pitch for the Royals as a defender, starting in 54 of her 55 games during her four-year career and attributing to 19 total shutouts. Head coach Ted Erickson considers how Sanchez’s competitive nature on the field helped her academically.

“Megan came to EMU ready to compete on the field and always pushed herself and her teammates to be physically ready,” Erickson said. “I quickly learned in Megan’s first two years here at EMU, that she was just as competitive off the field with her academics.”

During her senior season, Sanchez had different challenges to face. With the women’s soccer season moving to the spring and having to handle various aspects to finish out her degree, she had to move to a somewhat different beat to finish out her time at EMU and earn this accolade.

“It is even more meaningful to earn this accomplishment after such an unparalleled year,” she said. “From online student teaching to a shortened soccer season, the pandemic impacted the entirety of my senior year of college. Juggling my school work, soccer, the post-college job search, and planning my wedding made my final year of college the most challenging year yet.”

Sanchez finished out her time with EMU in the same fashion as years past, earning this honor to enhance that success. Coach Erickson notes the consistency of Sanchez’s success in the classroom and how it will further impact his program.

“This honor for Megan is again a tribute to her endless dedication to her academic success,” Erickson said. “In one of our early end-of-season one-on-one meetings, I complimented Megan on a successful semester and maintaining a 4.0 GPA. Megan quickly let me know that she planned to keep that 4.0 for every semester. True to her word, Megan did keep a 4.0 GPA for all four years, was awarded the Teacher of Promise Award, and landed a teaching job for this coming school year in Fairfax County. Megan will be missed but I am confident with the group we have, many more student-athletes will compete for this honor as well with Megan showing that it can be done.”

Those honored from ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř were:

 (Broadway, Va./Broadway), Jr., Men’s Track & Field/Cross Country, Environmental Science, 3.97. Alderfer just completed an incredible season with a trip to the NCAA National Championships in the 800m, and was named the EMU Male Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive time. He broke all four of EMU’s indoor and outdoor middle distance records, and broke one ODAC record and another ODAC Championships mark. Along with numerous All-ODAC, All-Region and All-State awards, Alderfer claimed seven ODAC Runner of the Week honors this spring.

 (Grants Pass, Ore./Hidden Valley), Jr., Men’s Soccer, Engineering, 3.98. Beachy earned a starting role in EMU’s midfield this year and scored a goal against rival Bridgewater College. He was recently named a Player of Distinction by the United Soccer Coaches.

 (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone), Sr., Women’s Soccer, Secondary English Education, 4.0. Breidigan wrapped up a career as a four-year starter in EMU’s defense line, helping the women’s team to 19 shutouts in her 55 games. She also was voted to the select CoSIDA Academic All-District Team for the second team and was awarded the EMU President’s Award.

 (Smithfield, Va./Smithfield), Jr., Field Hockey/Women’s Lacrosse, Elementary Education, 4.0. Hedgepeth led EMU’s field hockey team in scoring with four goals and two assists, adding an All-ODAC Second Team award in the postseason. She was also a starter for the women’s lacrosse team, notching seven ground balls in a defensive role.

 (Archbold, Ohio/Archbold), Sr., Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country/Triathlon, Spanish, 4.0. Miller was a steady contributor in the distance events for the track & field women. She ran in four events at the ODAC Outdoor Championships, finishing in the top-13 of each of them and running her personal best in all three individual races. Miller also joined the triathlon team this year and was top-7 in both of EMU’s races.

 (Collinsville, Miss./West Lauderdale), Jr., Women’s Track & Field/Cross Country/Triathlon, Political Science, 4.0. Shelly blossomed as a runner this year, earning All-ODAC, All-State and All-Region honors as part of the indoor track & field season. She finished top-7 in the 1500m, 5000m and 10000m at the ODAC Outdoor Championships, earning points for the Royals in all three events. She was also EMU’s No. 3 finisher in triathlon and was named the EMU Female Athlete of the Year.

Alderfer, Breidigan and Hedgepeth were each selected to the Academic All-State Team for the second consecutive year.

To be eligible for Academic All-State, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average, and be a sophomore or higher.

Breidigan, one of just 13 players on the all-district team, is a four-year starter in the Royals’ defense. She started 54 of her 55 games and helped Eastern Mennonite to 19 shutouts over her career. A secondary English education major with a psychology minor, Breidigan also carried a 4.0 GPA in the classroom.

“I am honored to be named Academic All-District by CoSIDA for my final season playing soccer as a Royal,” Breidigan said. “Playing a sport while being a full-time student has been one of the most challenging, yet rewarding, experiences of my life. I learned that time management, communication, and flexibility are all qualities that can be developed with intentional effort both on the soccer field and in the classroom. The leadership skills that I developed from acting as captain of the EMU soccer team contributed to my confidence in front of the classroom during my student teaching semester, and now as I teach in a long-term substitute position. The team work required to play soccer has allowed me to work with peers on group projects and be successful at maintaining positive relationships. Overall, collegiate athletics gave me a well-rounded undergraduate education experience, which I will take with me into the next chapter of my life.”

To wrap up her collegiate experience, Breidigan recently earned the EMU President’s Award, given to just one female and one male Royals athlete every year. She has been a regular on the ODAC All-Academic Team and EMU Dean’s List, and has been involved in many campus and community activities while at EMU. These include Executive Royal Ambassador Tour Guide, Fellow of Christian Athletes Leadership Team, University Choir, and the Weather Vane, while most recently she was named as Teacher of Promise.

Coach Ted Erickson explained that Breidigan has displayed a wonderful ability to adapt and thrive during her time at EMU.

“Megan has an older sister, Rachel, who was part of our first group of recruits who established the ‘academics first, athletics second’ approach. So when Megan enrolled four years ago we knew she understood what it took off the field and allowed us as a coaching staff to help her develop into the college player she became. In that freshman season she dealt with the transition to college, transitioning into a brand new position, center back, and transitioning into the college game. None of that distracted her from her success in the classroom. Those were not the only challenges Megan faced while at EMU: she became a captain her junior year, had her cross cultural in Central America cut short due to COVID-19, got engaged before her senior year, planned a wedding, handled her COVID-19-affected senior season, and amidst all that, she still finished school with a perfect GPA.”

Erickson said Breidigan pushed her teammates to be better and will do the same in her career as a teacher.

“Megan played in all but one game in her four-year career, forced her teammates to be focused every day in training or else she was going to land a crunching tackle on them, and made time in her individual schedule to get to know each teammate individually,” he explained. “We are honored to have Megan represent our program for a second straight year with this award but we are not surprised by her accomplishments. We look forward to her impacting young minds this coming year as a teacher in the Fairfax County School System.”

The Academic All-District team is voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Breidigan is now eligible for CoSIDA’s Academic All-America voting.

The criteria for the All-District program states that a player must be of sophomore academic standing, be a starter or important reserve and claim a GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale. Eastern Mennonite is a member of District 5, which includes players from NCAA D-III institutions in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

With EMU Athletics back in action this semester, so too is the Royals Athlete of the Week award.

So far three of the five honorees are seniors, and their Q & A profiles are a great opportunity to hear more about how the pandemic has affected their athletics career, what they appreciate about their student-athlete experience, the lessons they’ve learned and their future plans.

The seniors include

• , point guard on the men’s basketball team from Forestville, Md. (awarded Feb. 3);
• , forward on the men’s basketball team from Woodbridge, Va. (Feb. 26);
• , defender on the women’s soccer team from Douglassville, Pa. (March 5).

Tim Jones

Read his and visit his .

In a pandemic-shortened career, Jones was near the top of the program leaderboard in points and assists. His Feb. 3 honor came after the season opener against Lynchburg, where he had 17 points, five rebounds and four steals, and notched his second career double double by racking up 10 assists.

“As a senior and team captain, Tim leads our team every day on and off the court,:” said Head Coach Melvin Felix. “His hard work really showed against Lynchburg by helping us come back and getting in that game not only with his scoring but more importantly by getting everyone else involved, and getting 10 assists. When he is a dual threat with scoring and passing we are a much better team.”

Jones is a business administration major, with minors in recreational leadership and sports studies and marketing. He hopes to pursue more opportunities to play basketball before entering the workforce.

“I learned that I have the ability to adapt in any situation or environment,” he said in his profile. “I have also learned to appreciate life and the freedoms of life. Lastly, compassion for others is one of life’s greatest gifts.”

D.J. Hill

Read his and visit his .

Hill’s honor came after a tough two-point loss to Emory and Henry. The senior would end the night with 18 total points and grabbed 11 rebounds to help the Royals. 

“DJ as a player is so important for our team on both ends of the floor,” Felix said. “He gives everything every time he steps on the floor. That showed in his performance on the road at E&H, not only did he have to guard their best player all game but he also allowed us to dominate the paint with his scoring and rebounding.”

Hill is a liberal arts major with a business concentration and a business administration minor. He hopes to work in information technology with the U.S. government after graduation.

In his profile, Hill gives credit to several special people for inspiration through this season, including his mother, his grandmother, a former teammate and a former coach, and also “Mrs. Bonnie,” from the EMU dining hall.

Megan Breidigan

Read her and visit her .

A four-year starter as defender, Breidigan has helped the Royals earn 18 shutouts over her career. She enters this season as a co-captain with fellow senior Rachel Sauder. In the team’s season opener against a talented Bridgewater College team, Megan played her role well, communicating with a young roster and shutting down the Eagles’ best offensive player. She was awarded the Athlete of the Week honor on March 5.

“Megan did an outstanding job in her first game back after a 482-day layoff due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Head Coach Ted Erickson. “For her to command the back line, to play that sharp, with a freshman goalkeeper behind her as well as the opponent being an NCAA Tournament level team was impressive. I was proud of Megan and the team for not giving up after Bridgewater scored the early goal. Megan has been an outstanding role model, captain, teammate, and friend to all of her teammates and she will be missed next fall.”

Breidigan, a secondary English education major with a psychology minor, talks about what she learned from being on cross-cultural in Guatemala last semester during the pandemic.

She completed her student teaching in fall 2020, all online, and plans to be a middle school teacher and coach in the future.

Drawn by the friendly community and small class sizes, three graduates of Catholic high schools in Maryland and Virginia are enjoying their first year at ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř.

The students include Amanda Gilbert, of Elizabeth Seton High School, and Oslyn Mejia Gomez, of DeMatha Catholic High School. A scholarship was also awarded to a 2020 graduate of Paul VI High School.

In a new partnership formed in 2018, EMU recruits students from eight Catholic high schools in the Washington D.C., Maryland and northern Virginia area: Bishop McNamara, Bishop O’Connell, Archbishop Carroll (Va.), The Academy of the Holy Cross, and Bishop Ireton high schools. 

Several generous scholarship opportunities are offered to students who meet academic criteria and other eligibility requirements.

“We’ve found that students at Catholic high schools share our values of service, social justice and global engagement, and have a rigorous academic background of scholarly inquiry grounded in a faith perspective,” said Matt Ruth, director of admissions at EMU. 

Ashlyn Eby, a graduate of Paul VI Catholic High School, was an awardee of one of the inaugural scholarships. Now a sophomore, she is enrolled in EMU’s nursing program and is a member of EMU’s lacrosse team.

Cerrie Mendoza, admissions counselor, visits the schools in the fall to present scholarship opportunities, financial aid information and to answer questions about academics, athletics and extracurricular activities. 

“When I meet with students from these schools, they have a well-rounded appreciation for what they’re looking for in a university,” Mendoza said. “It’s been wonderful getting to know the staff at the schools and meeting with students who might be good fits for our unique education.”

Mendoza’s special connection helped Meijia Gomez feel especially welcome when he arrived for a visit. And that feeling hasn’t changed. 

Meijia Gomez also feels supported in his studies and on . “EMU isn’t a huge school where everyone is just another number,” he said, “but instead everyone is seen as a person.”

He appreciates that professors know him by name and easy to communicate with, and that his soccer teammates are “like family.” A business administration major who aspires to own his business someday, he was also intrigued by opportunities to learn and practice what he learns in his classes at the student-run coffeehouse, Common Grounds.

Gilbert, a psychology major, was especially attracted by EMU’s neuroscience minor and the possibilities of beginning graduate studies during her senior year in the accelerated Masters in Counseling program. With eventual plans to become a clinical psychologist or a psychiatrist, she definitely sees herself “finding new ways to better the world around me due to my EMU education.”

Her overnight visit to EMU during her senior year was the ideal way to meet people and learn more about the university. “The people I stayed with were absolutely wonderful. We played card games, drank tea, and got to know one another. After my overnight visit, I knew I could call EMU home. The entire campus community was very welcoming, and I knew that I would be supported in all my endeavors while at EMU.”

The EMU has earned the Team Academic Award from the United Soccer Coaches. The award recognizes the team GPA from the 2019-20 academic year.

This is the fifth time in the past six seasons that the team claimed the award from the coaches association, including the past three seasons in a row.

“We are extremely proud of the group we had last year and their commitment to academics,” said Head Coach . “We have worked hard to create a program that deeply cares for academic success because we believe if we can step onto the field and not be worried about upcoming academic events, then we can put forth a better athletic performance.”

The United Soccer Coaches (formerly the National Soccer Coaches Association of America) started its team academic award in 1996. To qualify, a college team must hold a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The Eastern Mennonite women had a team GPA of 3.45. A total of 556 four-year institutions of all levels earned the national award.

Six EMU student-athletes have been named to the Academic-All State Team by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). A total of 222 student-athletes representing 37 colleges and universities across the state were recognized.

Those honored from ˛ÝÝ®ÉçÇř were:

 (Broadway, Va./Broadway), So., Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Environmental Science, 3.96 GPA. Alderfer earned All-Region honors in track & field finishing fourth in the region in the 800m with his school record time of 1:54.97. He was also Eastern Mennonite’s top cross country runner in the fall.

 (Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone), Jr., Women’s Soccer, Secondary English Education, 4.00 GPA. Breidigan is a three-year starter in the Royals’ back line. She has helped Eastern Mennonite to 10 shutouts this past season and 19 over her career.

 (Harrisonburg, Va./Eastern Mennonite), Sr., Women’s Cross Country, Writing Studies, 4.00 GPA. Good had a comeback senior season after missing time the previous season. She ran her best 6K time of     24:26.5 at the 2019 ODAC Cross Country Championship.

 (Smithfield, Va./Smithfield), So., Field Hockey/Women’s Lacrosse, Elementary Education, 4.00 GPA. Hedgepeth played and started in every contest for field hockey and women’s lacrosse. She led the field hockey team with 10 goals with 3 assists for 23 points. Three of her goals were game-winning. 

 (Collinsville, Miss./West Lauderdale), Sr., Women’s Triathlon/Cross Country, Education and Liberal Arts, 3.97 GPA. In the first year of EMU sponsoring the sport of triathlon, Shelly finished 13th at the National Championship, completing a 750m swim, 20k bike and 5k run in 1:19.38. She was also the Royals’ top runner on the cross country team.

 (Broadway, Va./Eastern Mennonite), Sr., Women’s Soccer, Psychology & Music Performance (Vocal), 3.96 GPA. This year, Wenger was voted as the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete for women’s soccer. She had 58 starts in 67 career games, and led the ODAC with 10 shutouts as a senior.

To be eligible for Academic All-State, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average, and be a sophomore or higher.

VaSID is comprised of sports information or athletics communications professionals from intercollegiate institutions throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. Membership is open to any individual affiliated with one of the state’s institutions at the NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA, USCAA, NJCAA, community college and independent levels.

The Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award recognizes teams that exhibit fair play, sporting behavior and adherence to the laws of the game, reflected by the number of yellow or red cards they receive. The Royals did not earn a single card over the course of their 18-game season which qualified them for the Platinum Award.

EMU is one of five college teams that earned the platinum category, which will be formally acknowledged at the College Coaches Awards Reception on Thursday, Jan. 16 in conjunction with the 2020 United Soccer Coaches Convention. This is the fifth year in a row the Royals have been recognized for the award, but their first platinum honor while earning gold and silver the previous four.

Coach Ted Erickson applauds his team for how they play the game of soccer.

“I’m very proud on this year’s team! This award is just another example of the commitment they showed to training well and playing wisely which resulted in one of our better seasons over the past several years. Had we played a little more physical in a few games we could have had even better results, but overall this group will go down as one of our program’s greats.”

The award was open to all levels of collegiate soccer, both four-year and two-year institutions. The Royals were one of only three teams from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference recognized among the 95 total collegiate programs, joined by Sweet Briar and Bridgewater.

Eastern Mennonite finished the 2019 season with a record of 10-7-1, after getting off to the best start to a season in program history with a record of 7-1. The women were 4-5-1 in the ODAC earning them the ninth seed in the ODAC Tournament.

As part of the ODAC postseason awards, Wenger was voted as the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Voting for the scholar-athlete award was completed by the conference’s athletic communications directors.

Wenger said she felt honored to be recognition for her hard work.

“EMU has given me the opportunity to be involved on campus in so many ways,” she explained. “Professors and coaches alike understand that a lot of involvements mean there has to be give and take. I feel supported by them in all areas of my college career, not just the ones that they are involved in. It’s been an art form to figure out how to balance everything over four years, but I’ve found a way to do everything I love with passion, energy and joy.”

The ODAC names a top scholar-athlete for each of its sponsored sports, with voting based on athletic play as well as any other engagements off the field of play.

Wenger finished a stellar career with her best individual season, which in turn triggered EMU’s best season since 2006. In her fourth season starting for the Royals, Wenger displayed a talented balance of volume and quality. She was sixth in the ODAC with 98 saves but also seventh with an .824 save percentage. Wenger led the ODAC with 10 shutouts on the year and was tops in minutes played during the season at 1645:17.

She racked up 13 saves in a 1-0 regular season loss to eventual ODAC runner-up Virginia Wesleyan, and also had double digit save efforts in games against Roanoke and NCAA qualifier Randolph-Macon.

Wenger finished her career with 58 starts in 67 games, and sits fourth in the EMU record books for career saves (323), wins (26), shutouts (15), and minutes played (5309:27).

In the classroom, Wenger holds a 3.95 GPA as a psychology and music (vocal performance) double major. She also holds an Honors minor, and is a regular on the ODAC All-Academic Team and EMU Dean’s List.

Wenger is the co-president of EMU’s Student Government Association and a member of the EMU University Choir and Chamber Singers. She is in the Composer Collective club, Astral Society Club, and helps to organize campus hymn sings.  As part of EMU’s cross cultural program, she studied in India in during the spring of 2018 semester.

Wenger is also currently working internships with the Harrisonburg Community Services Board and the Shenandoah Valley Children’s Choir.

“Leah is extremely deserving of this award,” said Head Coach Ted Erickson. “I think when most people look at Leah on the soccer field they see her as just our goalie and forget that she’s a student-athlete. They have no idea the number of hats she wears and is extremely successful in each and every area! What an amazing individual she is!”

The Eastern Mennonite soccer women ended their season in the ODAC Tournament with a record of 10-7-1. The .583 winning percentage was the best for the Royals since 2006 as they earned the seventh double digit-win campaign in the 21 season of program history.

“I am so honored to be named Academic All-District,” Breidigan said. “Although I take pride in and care deeply about my sport, academics has always been my main focus while attending EMU. I really appreciate the emphasis that Coach Ted Erickson places on academic responsibility. My experiences at EMU as a student-athlete have shaped me into who I am today. I am grateful to the program for teaching me discipline, granting me valuable leadership roles, giving me confidence in my abilities, and allowing me to meet some of my best friends.”

Breidigan, one of four defenders on the all-district team, is a three-year starter in the Royals’ back line. She has helped Eastern Mennonite to 10 shutouts this year and 19 over her career. A junior Secondary English Education major, Breidigan also carries a 4.0 GPA in the classroom.

She has been a regular on the ODAC All-Academic Team and EMU Dean’s List, and is a Royal Ambassador for the EMU Admissions Office. Breidigan also serves on the leadership team for EMU’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes, is a member of Celebration Worship on campus, and has worked on numerous service trips through Mennonite Disaster Services.

Coach Erickson explained that Breidigan has willfully taken on a full plate of responsibilities as part of her collegiate education.

“It started off as a student-athlete,” he said, “and then transitioned into being a leader within FCA, managing social relationships and now a being leader on the soccer team. While wearing all these hats she has found success within the classroom as an aspiring Secondary English Teacher. On the field, Megan has started every game of her career and has been a strong piece of our defensive back line as well as a weapon on corners with her ability to win headers.”

The Academic All-District team is voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Breidigan is now eligible for CoSIDA’s Academic All-America voting.

The criteria for the All-District program states that a player must be of sophomore academic standing, be a starter or important reserve and claim a GPA of at least 3.30 on a 4.0 scale.

Eastern Mennonite is a member of District 5, which includes players from NCAA D-III institutions in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

Breidigan was one of just three women from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference honored on the 12-woman team from District 5.

This is the fourth time in the past five seasons that the team claimed the award from the coaches association, earning it in 2015, 2016, and 2018.

“This is a great achievement by our team from last year,” said sixth-year Head Coach Ted Erickson. “The commitment these ladies have made to improving this program, while maintaining success in the classroom, is outstanding and a center point of our program.”

The United Soccer Coaches (formerly the National Soccer Coaches Association of America) started its team academic award in 1996. To qualify, a college team must hold a team grade point average of 3.0 or higher. The Eastern Mennonite women had a team GPA of 3.46, which was tied for second highest with Lynchburg out of the ODAC teams who won the award, behind Washington and Lee at 3.55.

Entering this weekend’s home game against Lynchburg, the Royals have been off to their best start in program history. The game begins at 4 p.m. as part of EMU’s .

This is the fourth straight year the Royals have been recognized by the coaches association (formerly the National Soccer Coaches Association of America), earning the Silver Award two years running after a Gold Award in 2016 and a Silver in 2015.

The Team Ethics and Sportsmanship Award recognizes teams that exhibit fair play, sporting behavior and adherence to the laws of the game, reflected by the number of yellow or red cards they receive. The Eastern Mennonite women were given just three yellow cards over the course of their 14-game season. That 21.4% card percentage (total cards divided by total games) qualified them for the Silver Award.

Coach Ted Erickson said earning the award year after year is a testament to the players.

“We are extremely proud to have been awarded for the fourth straight year a United Soccer Coaches Ethics and Sportsmanship Award,” he explained. “Our young women who make up the women’s soccer program are committed to playing hard and aggressive but playing within the rules of the game and showing full respect to the officiating crew as well as their opponents. This award is something we hope to continue to earn in the coming years as well as climbing up the ODAC standings.”

The award was open to all levels of collegiate soccer, both four-year and two-year institutions. The Royals were one of only four teams from the Old Dominion Athletic Conference recognized among the 104 total collegiate programs, joined by Sweet Briar, Hollins and Bridgewater.

Eastern Mennonite finished the 2018 season with a record of 6-8, including 4-6 in the ODAC. The Royals averaged 1.93 goals per game, their highest mark since the 2013.