AUSTIN, Texas – A member of the Northeast Community College women's soccer team has earned a prestigious national academic honor.
Erica Derby has been named First Team Academic All-America by College Sports Communicators (CSC).
In the classroom, Derby, Keenesburg, Colo., graduated from Northeast with a 4.0 GPA as a pre-professional engineering major. She was named a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) First Team All-Academic after her freshman year and was named First Team Academic All-Region by the Iowa Community College Athletic Association during all four of her semesters in a Hawks uniform. Derby was also a vital member of the Hawks Athlete Advisory Council.
On the field, Derby helped guide the Hawks to a Region XI Tournament Championship title, a North Plains District Championship victory, an appearance at the NJCAA Division II Women's Soccer National Tournament and a 19-4-1 record in 2022. Northeast also remained in the top-10 of the NJCAA Division II Women's Soccer Rankings throughout the entire campaign. As a defender, Derby contributed to Northeast tying Phoenix College for the most shutouts in all of NJCAA Division II Women's Soccer with 15. The sophomore also pitched in three goals and four assists from the backline.
Derby was named First Team All-Region after being named Second Team All-Region in 2021. She was named Defensive MVP of the Region XI Tournament both in 2021 and 2022. Derby started 23 games, scored one goal and tallied four assists during her freshman year where the Hawks again led the nation in shutouts with 14. In 2021, Northeast won the Region XI Tournament, the North Plains District Championship, appeared at the NJCAA DII Women's Soccer National Tournament and had a record of 17-6-1 with the aid of Derby.
"Erica has embodied the true meaning of a student-athlete during her time at Northeast," Northeast Athletic Director Jerrett Mills said. "Since the first time she stepped foot on campus, she has excelled athletically with the women's soccer team, making back-to-back national tournament appearances. Academically, Erica shined in the classroom as she worked towards a degree in pre-professional engineering. She is more than deserving of this nationally prominent award, voted on by members of other institutions throughout the United States."
CSC receives approximately 20,000 nominations during the academic year across all championship sports. Academic All-District selections are made and then those student-athletes advance to the national ballot. CSC members cast their votes and approximately 1,750 student-athletes receive Academic All-America honors. Derby is just one of 11 student-athletes from the NJCAA ranks to obtain the accolade.
Derby is the second Northeast student-athlete to earn the esteemed honor from CSC as former Hawks volleyball player Kalli Brester earned the distinction following the 2018-2019 athletic season.
--###--