Two Sacramento State senior soccer players were named “ESPN: The Magazine” first-team District VIII Academic All-region finalists.

The College Sports Information Directors Association announced women’s forward Kim Kemper and men’s defender Kyle Beasley were nominated for the all-academic team.

Kemper, a second-team honoree last year, has a 3.93 grade point average in liberal studies, while Beasley, a first time honoree, has a 3.932 GPA in business administration.

To be eligible for nomination, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve player with least a 3.3 cumulative GPA. Student-athletes must also have been enrolled at their current institution for more than a year and have participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s games.

Beasley said time management is the hardest part about being a student athlete in terms of balancing school and sports.

“We’re on the road and we’re flying and it’s hard to balance school work and studying on long trips,” Beasley said. “You always have to have your classes in the morning or at night because we practice every day.”

Beasley said doing well academically has always been important to him because he never planned on playing soccer professionally.

“I’ve always taken school very seriously, even before I came here,” he said. “I always knew there was going to be life after soccer and I needed to do the best I can.”

Beasley said this season has been a highlight of his career.

“(My greatest achievement) would have to be this year starting and playing the whole year, having reasons for being part of Sac State’s best season in school history with winning conference and the most wins, and having a chance to go to the NCAA tournament,” Beasley said.

Kemper’s last game as a Hornet was against Portland State.

“I’m going to miss the competitions and being a part of something, everything, all of it, the whole experience,” Kemper said. “Being on the team and having a common goal, and being a part of something bigger than myself.”

She said she manages school, work and sports by doing all the work for her classes and studying while she is on road trips.

Sac State women’s soccer team head coach Randy Dedini said Kemper has always been able to manage her time well

“Playing a Division I sport is like a full-time job. You really have to work hard on it outside of practice,” Dedini said. “For her to maintain her high level of fitness and also practically get straight A’s in the classroom says a lot about her character and how hard she is willing to work for what she wants.”

The sports information directors association members in each district vote on their district’s nominee pool. Players with the most votes earn first team honors. The student-athletes who earn first team all-district honors are then put into one nominee pool for Academic All-America voting.

Jeondra Arrington can be reached at [email protected]