Five Francis Marion University women's soccer players – senior defender Ainara Eizaguirre, junior forward Le'Landra Jarvis, junior midfielders Linsey Downey and Haley Sink, and sophomore midfielder Izzy Ashley – have been named to the 2023 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team for the Southeast Region of NCAA Division II.

The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes soccer honorees in four divisions: NCAA Division I, II, and III and NAIA.  Academic All-District® honorees are considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in early December.

Eizaguirre and Jarvis both garner this award for the second year in a row.

Eizaguirre, a native of Hernani, Spain, owns a 3.769 cumulative grade point average as a visual arts major.  She started all 18 matches and played all but 13 minutes this past season as she anchored an improved backline that surrendered only 21 goals and only 4.7 shots on goal per match.  She is a two-time Academic All-Conference Team selection and is a member of Chi Alpha Sigma national college athlete honor society.  She earned a Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award for 2022 and 2023, has been named to the FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll for all six of her semesters, and was selected to the conference honor roll each of her three previous years.

Jarvis, a native of Jackson, S.C., has a 3.923 GPA as a psychology major. She started 17 matches this season, and registered a goal, an assist, and 13 shots.  She earned a Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award for 2023, is a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS), is active in the Baptist Collegiate Ministries, and served as a writing center tutor and Student Athlete Advisory Committee member.  She has been named to the FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll each of her first four semesters and was recognized on the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll on three occasions.

Downey is from Little River, S.C., and has a 3.672 GPA as a management and marketing major. On the field in 2023, she appeared in 17 matches and made seven starts. She registered the match-winning score in a 1-0 win in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.  She was named to the Conference Carolinas Academic All-Conference Team for 2023 and to the 2023 All-Tournament squad.  She also garnered a 2023 Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award, was named to the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll three times and to the FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll for all four of her semesters.

Sink, is a native of Moseley, Va., and has a 3.863 GPA as a marketing major.  She started all 18 matches and recorded a goal, an assist, and nine shots.  She was selected to the Academic All-Conference Team for 2023, earned a 2023 Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award, and is a member of Beta Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society.  She has been named to both the FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll and the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll on every possible occasion.

Ashley hails from Kannapolis, N.C., and has a 4.0 GPA as a biology major.  She started all 18 matches this season and recorded 19 shots, the third highest total on the squad.  She is a member of NSLS and has been named to the Conference Carolinas Presidential Honor Roll and the FMU Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll on every possible occasion.

These five players help Francis Marion enjoy its most successful season since joining Conference Carolinas with an 8-6-4 record, a second-place finish in the East Division standings, and a semifinal appearance in the conference tournament.

Eizaguirre graduated from IES Hernani BHI, while Jarvis is a product of Aquinas High School in Augusta, Ga., Downey is a product of North Myrtle Beach High School, Sink is a graduate of Cosby High School, and Ashley is a product of Concord High School.

The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-24 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs.