AUSTIN, Texas -- Lincoln Memorial University senior forward Nicole McKinney (Ooltewah, Tenn.) and sophomore striker Michelle Hunter (Tecumseh, Ontario) have been selected to the 2014 Capital One Academic All-District III women's soccer first team, the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) announced on Thursday. McKinney is the first three-time Academic All-District selection in program history, while Hunter receives the distinction for the first time in her career.
 
Both McKinney and Hunter have been integral to the Lady Railsplitters' success this season as that duo has combined for 10 goals and three assists while starting all 14 matches. Hunter has accounted for six goals and two assists over that stretch. McKinney, meanwhile, has tallied four goals and an assist while racking up 33 shot attempts.
 
Thanks in large part to Hunter and McKinney's significant contributions, the Lady Railsplitters have compiled a 9-3-2 overall mark with a 7-1-2 South Atlantic Conference clip. Lincoln Memorial has assured itself a home game for the quarterfinal round of the SAC Championship, which will be held on November 4, but a win over Wingate in Saturday's regular-season finale would award the Lady Railsplitters a second-place league finish. Lincoln Memorial has not finished better than fifth in the league standings since capturing the regular season crown in 2007. The Lady Railsplitters debuted at No.7 in the initial NCAA Division II Southeast Region rankings, which were unveiled Wednesday afternoon.
 
McKinney became the first-ever three-time Academic All-District recipient in program history as she has accumulated a 3.95 GPA while completing her degree in Elementary Education. Hunter, a Physical Education/Kinesiology major, compiled a 3.80 GPA in her first year at Lincoln Memorial. McKinney has racked up 16 goals and eight assists during her four-year tenure in the Blue and Gray, while Hunter has already found the back of the net 14 times in just two seasons with the Lady Railsplitters.
 
McKinney and Hunter, along with the other 13 student-athletes representing District III (SAC, Conference Carolinas and Peach Belt Conference), advance to the Capital One Academic All-America national ballot, which will be selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.