Senior defenders Laura Hines of Hood College and Justin McGrath of Salisbury University were named to the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District II Soccer teams, announced Monday by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Hines was a third-team selection on the District II women's squad while McGrath was a second-team choice on the men's team.

To be eligible for CoSIDA Academic honors, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. 

District II includes all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA teams from Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and the District of Columbia.

Hines started 14 of the 15 games she appeared in this season and helped the Blazers record eight shutouts. She attempted six shots and was credited with one assist. Her lone helper of the season came Sept. 12 on sophomore Casey Miller's game-winning goal against Purchase College.

Hines battled through an injury last season and has started 50 of the 55 games she has played in the blue and grey. She has two goals to her credit, including the game-winner against Wilson in September of 2006. The Blazers have registered 33 shutouts during her tenure.

The native of Monrovia, Md., was named to the all-AWCC second team as a freshman and is a member of the CAC all-academic team. Hines was also part of the inaugural class inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma national student-athlete honor society last year. A mathematics major with a minor in economics, she plans to pursue a master's degree in math after graduation this spring.

McGrath is wrapping up his senior season at Salisbury, where he is majoring in biology and has a 3.87 grade point average.

McGrath has had a strong season for the No. 24 Sea Gulls as they have a record of 14-2-1 and recently captured the Capital Athletic Conference regular-season title. McGrath has played and started in 16 games this season and has helped limit opposing offenses to just 10 goals through over 1,500 minutes.

The Perry Hall, Md., native has had a successful career both on and off the field at Salisbury. On the field, he has been named to the All-CAC first team in both 2007 and '08. In the classroom, he has been named to the All-CAC Academic team in '07 and '08, and was inducted into the prestigious Chi Alpha Sigma National College Athletic Honor Society last spring.

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.