Rick Collins, a member of the Mount Vernon Nazarene College men's soccer team, has been named to the 2001 Verizon Academic All-District IV Second Team in the Fall/Winter At-Large College Division. Collins was the lone NAIA athlete on the First or Second Team.
Collins, a senior midfielder from Pataskala, Ohio, was a third-year captain for the Cougars this season. The former Watkins Memorial High School standout finished the 2000 season with six goals and eight assists as he helped MVNC to a 16-7-1 overall record and a third-place finish at the National Christian College Athletic Association National Tournament. He was named to the NCCAA East Region Team and the NCCAA All-American Second Team, while also being selected as the NCCAA's Wittnauer-Kyle Rote, Jr. National Player of the Year.
For his career, Collins recorded 21 goals, 45 assists, and 87 total points. He ranks second in school history in career assists and fifth in career points. He also tied the single-season school record with 17 assists in 1999. During his career, the Cougars posted a 64-28-4 overall record as he started all 96 matches - another school record.
In addition to his accomplishments on the field, Collins has posted a 3.694 grade point average as an International Business/Spanish double major. For his efforts in the classroom, Collins was named to the NAIA and NCCAA Academic All-American Teams as a junior and a senior.
The Verizon Academic All-District IV Teams are made up of NCAA Division II, III, and NAIA players from Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Tennessee, and Alabama. To be eligible for nomination, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore with a grade point average of 3.20 or above. The Fall/Winter At-Large category includes athletes involved in soccer, cross country, swimming, wrestling, hockey, and gymnastics.
