AUSTIN, TEX. – Anna Grossheim put the final stamp on her standout senior campaign for the UNC Pembroke soccer team on Wednesday when the Garner native was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America squad, the organization announced.
 
The announcement marks the second-consecutive year Grossheim has earned the prestigious award, and is the seventh time in her Braves career she has been selected to an organization's All-America team. Grossheim was one of only four student-athletes across all three NCAA divisions and NAIA who repeated as a first-team selection, and the only Division 2 student-athlete to earn the honor the last two years.

The Black & Gold has sent 21 of its student-athletes to the CSC (formerly College Sports Information Directors of America) Academic All-America squad in the 71-year history of the awards program. Grossheim is just the fifth UNCP student-athlete to pick up first-team honors from the organization, joining former baseball player Nick Debo (2017), former football players Ben Decelle (2012, 2013) and Wes Carter (2013), and former golfer Katja Dammann (2011) on the distinguished list. Former tennis player Carla Hobbs became the then-Pembroke State athletics department's first honoree in 1985 as a member of the third team.
 
The Academic All-America® program, selected by College Sports Communicators, is the longest-running and most prestigious academic and athletic award for student-athletes. All nominees must have a grade point average of 3.5 or above and be a starter or important reserve. The laurel is widely considered to be the most prestigious academic honor that can be bestowed upon a collegiate student-athlete.
 
A sociology major who graduated earlier this month with a 3.992 GPA, Grossheim will now pursue a Master's degree at UNCP in public administration. All told for the 2023 season, she has been named to the D2CCA All-Region and All-American teams, the United Soccer Coaches All-Region squad, and the CSC Academic All-District team, to go along with her Conference Carolinas Elite 23 award, while also being named a 1^st Team All-Conference Carolinas selection.