Bucknell University Athletics
Jesse Klug Named Capital One Third Team Academic All-American
11/25/2014 12:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
LEWISBURG, Pa. – The Bucknell men's soccer team just concluded a remarkable November on the pitch, winning the Patriot League title and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth time in the last nine years. And as usual, the Bison are also getting the job done in the classroom.
On Tuesday it was announced that junior forward Jesse Klug was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Third Team. Klug becomes Bucknell's 126th national Academic All-American – fifth-most among all Division I programs – and the 10th from the men's soccer program. With former defender Joe Meyer earning Academic All-America honors in both 2012 and 2013, coach Brendan Nash's team has now had a national honoree three years in a row.
In addition to Klug's prestigious honor, the Bucknell men's soccer team earned a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Team Academic Award. The team's 3.43 combined grade-point average for the 2013-14 academic year was tied for the third-highest in Division I men's soccer. The Bison have earned this honor every year since 1997.
One of the Patriot League's top scorers, Klug advanced to the national Academic All-America ballot by earning All-District honors last month. He also earned a spot on the 11-man Academic All-Patriot League Team in addition to Second Team All-Patriot League honors.
Klug is a managing for sustainability major with a 3.65 cumulative GPA. In addition to his goal-scoring prowess, Klug is also extremely active in social issues on and off campus. His managing for sustainability course load has an emphasis on economic and socio-cultural issues, and he is pursuing a minor in social justice. Klug will study in Guatemala, Costa Rica and Nicaragua next spring as part of the Social Change in Central America program.
Last year Klug was the co-founder and executive board member with the Bucknell Chapter of Net Impact, a networking opportunity for Bucknell students who are seeking internships and jobs in sustainability, as well as experience in local community development through small businesses and charitable organizations. He was nominated and selected to participate in the Sophomore LEAD (Leading, Engaged, Active, Determined) leadership development workshop series. Klug is a member of the Pennsylvania Student Equity Coalition and has written for the Keystone Student Voice online magazine.
Last January, Klug attended the Creating Change Conference in Houston, and he was one of 12 Campus Pride “Leaders in Action” promoting social justice and inclusion on campus. In October 2013, Klug authored third-most-read article of the year on Outsports.com, and his “Open Letter on Homosexuality” was also picked up by The Huffington Post, The Advocate, OUT Online Magazine and others.
On the field, Klug led Bucknell and ranked second in the Patriot League with 27 points, coming from 11 goals and five assists. Klug has reached the 10-goal plateau for the second year in a row, and he now ranks 10th in program history in career goals (24) and points (60). He scored the opening goal in Bucknell's 3-2 win over Boston University in the Patriot League championship game and also had a goal against Lehigh in the quarterfinals.
