In her time at Tech, Sloan has earned a number of academic honors. – Photos courtesy of LATechSportsPix.com
Alex Heard
Staff Reporter | amh072@latech.edu
The quarter system is like a warlord.
It is ruthless, cutthroat and takes no prisoners. Unlike the semester system, there is no margin for error, if you miss class and mistreat it you will be in a deep hole and it will mistreat you. Handling the quarter system is no easy feat, even for full-time students. How hard it is for both full-time students and athletes seems monumental. However, Kathryn Sloan, a senior forward for the Louisiana Tech women’s soccer team, had no issue whatsoever.
In an announcement made by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), Sloan was selected as the 2016 Academic All-American of the Year for Division I Women’s Soccer. A communication arts and design major with a perfect 4.0 grade point average, Sloan became the first student-athlete in Tech history to receive this esteemed honor. She was also a third team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection last year. Sloan, a native of Kansas City, Missouri, is also a three-time recipient of the Commissioner’s Academic Medal as well as a three-time C-USA All Academic First Team honoree.
“Katie Sloan has exemplified what we want our student-athletes to be during her four years at Louisiana Tech,” said Tommy McClelland, athletics director at Tech. “She is one of 14 student-athletes in Louisiana Tech history to be named an academic All-American and just the third to earn the honor multiple times. That’s impressive enough in its own right. However, to be named the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America of the Year for Division I women’s soccer is an unbelievable honor. We are so proud of Katie and all of her incredible accomplishments on and off the field.”
Sloan’s coaches expected nothing less.
“What an amazing achievement and well deserved,” said Kevin Sherry, the head coach. “The amount of determination, focus, sacrifice and hard work needed to become one of the best in your ‘field’ are so high that most people shy away from even attempting to be the best. Katie is a great example to others that good things do happen if you are willing to put the work in and make the sacrifices needed.”
Her excellence on and off the field greatly impressed her teachers.
“Being a great college athlete and a great student takes an immense amount of effort,” said Tom Futrell, an assistant professor of design and Sloan’s academic adviser. “It’s not often you see someone who has the ability and desire to succeed in both. Everyone knows that on the field Katie is an all-conference powerhouse; however, in the classroom she’s even better. During her time at the School of Design, Katie has never missed a class, never complained about a deadline and never caved under pressure. Katie is the consummate student-athlete. I know the future is bright for her.”
The future for Sloan is not bright; it is blinding. Someone with such intellect and athleticism who triumphed the dreaded quarter system should have no problem conquering the real world.