James Madison redshirt juniors Davide Materazzi and Demitri Turner have been recognized for their academic excellence and athletic achievements by being named to the College Sports Communicators Division I Men’s Soccer Academic All-District Team.

To be eligible for this prestigious honor, athletes had to maintain a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.50 and participate in at least 66% of all matches or start in 90% of all games.

Materazzi, who is in his first semester of the sport and recreation leadership graduate program at JMU, has demonstrated exceptional academic performance throughout his career. He earned a bachelor’s degree in sport management with a cumulative GPA of 3.579 while attending Davis & Elkins. This season, he has been a vital member of the team, starting all 19 matches and scoring two goals while also anchoring the defense.

Turner, who is majoring in quantitative finance with a 3.762 GPA, has also been a standout player this season, starting all 19 matches and scoring his first career goal against Coastal Carolina. He has accumulated a total of seven points this season.

Their accomplishments will be recognized as JMU takes on No. 25 Loyola Marymount in the round of 16 on Saturday, Nov. 25 at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m PT. The match will be streamed on ESPN+ with the winner advancing to face off against the winner of fifth-seeded West Virginia and Vermont in the quarterfinals.

These honors are a testament to their hard work, dedication, and commitment to both academics and athletics, making them valuable assets to their respective teams and institutions alike.

James Madison University (JMU) is well known for its excellence in academics as well as sports performance across various fields such as soccer, football, basketball among many others.