(St. George, Utah – Nov. 21, 2023) The 2023 Academic All-District Men's and Women's Soccer Teams were announced on Tuesday, with five Trailblazer women's soccer players earning recognition as part of the release.
 
McKinley Barney, Ella Carmody, Gracie Knutzen, Brynlee Rider and Tessa Thornton all found success both on and off the field for a Utah Tech team that finished its 2023 campaign with an 8-7-5 record and appearance in the WAC Women's Soccer Tournament.
 
Barney made 18 appearances on the season, starting 17 times. She recorded her lone assist of the season on the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Nevada on Aug. 27, having played 60-plus minutes in each of UT's four shutouts and finished the year with nine shots (five on goal) across 1,246 minutes of action.
 
Originally from Mesa, Ariz., Barney holds a 3.98 GPA as a Nursing major.

Ella Carmody appeared in all 20 games this season, making 17 starts. Having started each of the team's four clean sheets, she played the full 90 in two of the games and recorded her lone shot of the season in a 1-0 victory over Portland State on Sept. 10. She also finished the season without being cautioned despite ranking third on the team with 1,329 minutes played. 
 
A defender from Sandy, Utah, Carmody boasts a 3.68 GPA as a Population Health major.
 
An All-WAC Second Team selection who was named WAC Defender of the Week on Oct. 3, Gracie Knutzen played every single minute of the 2023 season, 1800 in total, across 20 starts on the Trailblazer back line. She helped lead the team during all four clean sheets and was credited with an assist in a 1-1 draw against Grand Canyon on Oct. 1 while recording season-high three shots in a 3-0 victory over SFA on Oct. 5. 
 
Knutzen holds a 3.83 GPA as a Criminal Justice major.
 
Brynlee Rider was a Second Team All-WAC selection who started 18 of her 19 appearances on the season, playing 1,235 minutes. She scored twice in a season-opening victory over South Dakota on Aug. 17 and was credited with two assists in a 3-2 victory over Colorado State on Sept. 14 before scoring one goal and assisting another in a 3-1 victory against Abilene Christian on Oct. 15. Rider finished the year as the team's leader in points (20), assists (six) and shots on goal (18) while tying for the team-lead in goals (seven) and game-winners (two).
 
An Exercise Science major, she boasts a 3.99 GPA. 
 
Tessa Thornton started 16 of her 17 appearances on the season, playing 1,268 minutes and going 75-plus on 10 different occasions. She scored and assisted in a 4-3 win against Idaho State on Sept. 17 before adding goals against SFA (W, 3-0) and Abilene Christian (W, 3-1) to finish the year with three goals and one assist. Tied for second on the team with 34 shots, eight of which were on target, Thornton was also recognized by the WAC as a player who received votes for postseason awards.
 
With a 3.65 GPA, the Spokane, Wash., native is majoring in Communication Studies.
 
Selected by College Sports Communicators, the Academic All-District teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. In order to qualify for the award, athletes must have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA while competing in at least 90% of games/contest or starting 66% of games.
 
Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot; teams are set to be announced December 19 (men) and December 20 (women).