ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Seniors Abby Willenbring and Ella Young of the College of Saint Benedict soccer team have been named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team, according to an announcement Tuesday (Nov. 21).

Willenbring is an accounting major from Lino Lakes, Minn.; and Young, is a chemistry major from Hudson, Wis.

The 2023 Academic All-District® Women's Soccer Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes soccer honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA — for each gender. 
 
Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in early December.

Both Willenbring and Young, who earned their second All-MIAC First Team honors earlier this fall, helped lead the Bennies squad to an overall record of 9-6-3 and a 6-3-2 MIAC mark, which placed CSB second. In 2023, the Bennies recorded their 27^th overall winning season since 1984. Saint Benedict finished tied for third place in the MIAC and earned a No. 4 seed in the MIAC Playoffs. In addition, CSB was ranked in the NCAA DIII regional rankings.

Willenbring, a starter in all 18 games, earned her first CSB Academic All-District honor. She also earned her second straight All-MIAC honor after scoring a team-high 15 points (12^th, MIAC) with a team-high six goals (9^th, MIAC) and three assists. Willenbring, who had a special year in playing both defender and forward, had team-highs in shots on goal with 26 (13^th, MIAC) and shots with 47 (13^th, MIAC). In 11 league games, she tallied five goals and two assists with 16 shots on goal and had two of her team-high three game-winning shots (8^th, MIAC). She is second on the team in minutes play at 1,310. In her career, she has played in 60 games, including 59 starts, totaling 4,321 minutes. A two-time Academic All-MIAC honoree, she has totaled 11 goals, seven assists and 29 points with 97 shots and 53 shots on goal, as well as five game-winning goals.

A year ago, she became the third CSB player ever named to the U.S. Soccer third team and was the only MIAC student-athlete selected on the three United Soccer Coaches teams. At CSB, she joined Megan Thompson, 2019, as the second Bennies player named to the NCAA Division III Women's Scholar All-North/Central Region Second Team. In 2021 she was named the 2021 MIAC Elite 22 Award winner for women's soccer.

Young, who earned her first CSC Academic All-District honor, also received her second All-MIAC honor (2021-22, first team). She had a stellar year on defense for CSB. She was part of a defense which allowed just .89 goals per game. Young made 14 starts in 18 games, accumulating a team-high 1,332 minutes.

A two-time Academic All-MIAC honoree, she had three points on a goal and an assist while totaling 24 shots with 13 on-goal in 2023. Young had one game-winning kick. During her career, she has played in 61 games with 53 starts and totaled 4,525 minutes. She has five goals, three assists and 13 points to go with her 55 shots and 27 on-goal. Young has recorded three game-winning goals. In each of the past three seasons, she has played at least 1,331 minutes each year (1,332, 2023; 1,331, 2022; and 1,534, 2021).