Bucknell University Athletics
Thorsheim, Klug Named to NSCAA Scholar All-America Team
12/17/2014 2:48:00 PM | Men's Soccer
LEWISBURG, Pa. -- One week after earning All-Region honors from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) for their outstanding play on the field, juniors Chris Thorsheim and Jesse Klug have now been named NSCAA Scholar All-Americans in recognition of their work in the classroom.
Thorsheim, a First Team All-Northeast Region midfielder, was a Second Team Scholar All-American. Klug, who was a Second Team All-Northeast Region selection, was a Third Team Scholar All-American. Thorsheim and Klug advanced to the national ballot after earning NSCAA First Team Scholar All-Region honors, and they were joined on that squad by teammates Jonathan Grad and Brian Ward, who earned Honorable Mention nods.
This is the first time Bucknell has ever had two Scholar All-Americans in the same season. Previous Bison to earn the honor were Adam Edwards in 2004 and Brendan Burgdorf in 2011 and 2012. Thorsheim and Klug will receive their awards at the NSCAA All-America Luncheon in Philadelphia on Jan. 17.
Thorsheim is one of the team's engines in the central midfield, and he ranked second in the Patriot League in assists (7) and eighth in points (15) while also contributing four goals. Two of those assists came in the Patriot League championship match at Boston University, and he also scored in the quarterfinal win at Lehigh. Thorsheim will enter his senior year with 36 career points on 12 goals and 12 assists.
Off the field, Thorsheim is an accounting and financial management major with a 3.45 cumulative grade-point average. He has been active in the local community, serving food to the homeless at First Presbyterian Church and working for two years as counselor at a Special Olympics camp, in addition to a number of other church-related charity activities.
Klug, who also earned Capital One Academic All-America and Patriot League All-Academic honors this fall, 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.
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.
The Bison finished 10-10-3 overall and 4-3-2 in a very competitive Patriot League this fall. Bucknell qualified for the Patriot League Tournament as the No. 5 seed, and then knocked off Lehigh, Navy and Boston University to capture its fourth league title in the last nine years. The campaign ended with a 2-0 loss to UNC Wilmington in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
