Clarksville, Ark. – University of the Ozarks senior men's soccer player Thomas Ross capped his academic and athletic career by earning Google Cloud Academic All-America® First Team honors, the College of Sports Information Directors of America released Tuesday.

Ross, a senior midfielder from Heath, Texas, is the first Ozarks' student-athlete since 2015 to receive the honor. Ross, who was named to the Academic All-District Team in November, produced an All-Conference season in 2018. The 5-foot-11, 160-pound Ross recorded eight assists and scored two goals while helping the Eagles to the post-season. His 12 points ranked third on the team. He was the only men's soccer player from the American Southwest Conference to be named a Google Cloud Academic All-American this season.
    
"This recognition for Thomas is awesome and well-deserved," said Athletics Director Jimmy Clark. "This is a testament to his work ethic and his ability on the field and in the classroom. It takes work to receive an honor of this caliber. We are very proud of him. He is truly an outstanding student-athlete, one who exemplifies the NCAA Division III model."

A 2018 December graduate, Ross owns a 3.99 grade point average as a mathematics major. He is a three-time member of the ASC All-Academic Team and a two-time All-Conference performer. He received a spot on the USC Scholar All-South Region Team in 2017. His 19 career assists rank sixth all-time at Ozarks.

The 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. To be eligible, student-athletes must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) for their career.

For a complete list of honorees, click here: https://academicallamerica.com/news/2018/12/4/2018-google-cloud-academic-all-america-ncaa-division-iii-mens-soccer-team-announced.aspx