Purdue Calumet’s Rachel Shmagranoff Named NAIA Scholar-Athlete

PUC-PeregrinsPurdue University Calumet senior forward Rachel Shmagranoff was one of 578 women's soccer players of the NAIA to be named a 2014 Daktronics Scholar-Athlete, as released by the national office Friday.

Shmagranoff (Munster, Ind./Munster) claimed her second-straight honor, as she was named a Scholar-Athlete in 2013. The senior captures her third academic honor this season, as she was named both an all-district and an all-American performer by the College Sports Information Directors of America's (CoSIDA) Capital One Academic All-American contest earlier this season.

The three-year player, who holds a perfect 4.0 cumulative grade point average for the Peregrines, overwhelmingly met the criteria for the award, which includes a minimum 3.5 grade point average and at least a junior standing academically. She's set to graduate this December with a degree in biology and concentration in microbiology.

In just three seasons, Shmagranoff made her mark in the record books, finishing as the career leader in points (48), assists (16), game-winning goals (4), games started (53), minutes played (3,824), shots on goal (66), shots attempted (110), and is ranked second in goals with 16.

This past season, Shmagranoff finished with a team-best eight goals and added four assists to finish with 20 points for the Peregrines, who wrapped up the 2014 season with a 7-11 record and just one spot out of an appearance in the league postseason tournament.

She had three game-winning goals, including a thrilling score in the final seconds of a 3-2 win at Bethel, the same contest where she recorded her first career hat trick and just the third in school history.

The NAIA is the governing body for athletics programs at its nearly 300 colleges and universities throughout the United States and Canada. The long-held mission of the NAIA is to promote the education and development of well-rounded students and productive citizens through intercollegiate athletics. The association offers equitable access and opportunities for participation in its 23 national championship events held annually throughout the country.