KERNERSVILLE — For the fifth consecutive year, the Bishop McGuinness High School girls soccer team has received the U.S. Coaches’ Team Academic Award for the 2018-’19 academic year.
Bishop McGuinness was one of only seven North Carolina high school girls soccer teams honored from the 174 girls teams recognized nationally. The Bishop McGuinness girls soccer team had a collective 4.07 grade-point average.
Additionally, senior tri-captain Caroline Coyte was honored by the U.S. Coaches as a High School Academic All-America. Coyte graduated last spring with a four-year 4.46 grade-point average, and is now a freshman at N.C. State University. She was a four-year starter and All-Conference player, and named All-Region three times. She was twice nominated for All-State. Coyte’s selection, one of only five from North Carolina, marked the second straight year a Bishop player has been named High School Academic All-America. Rachel Klinke, now a sophomore at N.C. State, was honored in 2017-’18.
The Villains finished the 2019 season with a 14-5-2 record and ranked seventh in the state among NCHSAA 1-A schools.
Not only were the Villains honored for academic achievement, they received the U.S. Soccer Coaches’ Ethics and Sportsmanship award for the third consecutive season. They earned the Gold Award last season, having received only one yellow card. They were one of only four North Carolina girls soccer teams to receive this award.
“We are very proud of the high standard our players have set,” said Bishop McGuinness girls soccer coach Ray Alley, “not only competitively on the field, but in the classroom. Being recognized for high academic achievement, high ethics and good sportsmanship is an admirable tradition for girls soccer at Bishop.”
— Kimberly Knox