GREENWOOD, Ind. - Four Elmhurst University men's soccer student-athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, as announced by the professional organization Tuesday (Nov. 19) afternoon.

Juniors Ryan Wells and Caden Sultzbaugh, sophomore Niyen Ruffin, and graduate student Brady Lucas each earned the honors as top academic and athletic members of the team.

The CSC Academic All-District Teams honor the nation's top student-athletes for their combined excellence athletically and academically. In order to be eligible, student-athletes must have a minimum grade point average of 3.50 and compete in at least 90 percent, or start in at least 66 percent, of the team's matches. 

Wells, Sultzbaugh, and Ruffin each earned their first placements on the CSC Academic All-District list, while Lucas earned the honors for the second-straight season. 

Lucas earned his second-straight honor from the professional organization after returning for his fifth-year of competition. Sporting a perfect 4.0 while studying to receive his master's degree in business administration, Lucas started all 19 matches for Elmhurst in 2024, scoring three goals and two assists on the season.

Wells started 18 matches this season for the Bluejays as a midfielder, netting a pair of goals. The junior earned a 3.98 GPA studying finance and marketing.

Sultzbaugh started 18 matches as a midfielder, tallying one goal and three assists for the Bluejays in the 2024 season while earning a perfect 4.0 GPA while studying finance and international business at EU.

Ruffin, a sophomore studying cybersecurity, earned a 3.90 GPA off the field. On the field, Ruffin was the Bluejays' primary goalkeeper this season, starting 15 matches and sporting a .771 saver percentage and 1.42 goals allowed average with one shutout this season. Ruffin was named the CCIW's Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week on September 3 earlier this season. 

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