Albany, N.Y. - University at Albany's Nikki Branchini has been selected to the Capital One Academic All-America Women's At-Large second team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) on Thursday, June 9. Branchini, a senior defensive midfielder on the women's lacrosse team, is the first UAlbany female athlete at the Division I level to earn All-America recognition on the field and in the classroom.
Branchini has a 3.83 cumulative grade point average in history with a minor in education. She recently was chosen America East Conference Woman of the Year for combining excellence in athletics, academics, service and leadership. Branchini earned District I Academic All-America honors for the second year in a row and has made the America East All-Academic Team on three occasions. She was awarded an ECAC Merit Medal as the school's top senior female student-athlete in the 2010-11 academic year and was the recipient of the Chancellor's Scholar-Athlete Award. Branchini has interned at the Albany County District Attorney's Office and at the Albany City School District as a tutor for special education students. She plans to attend law school.
A senior from Guilderland, N.Y., Branchini led UAlbany to its most accomplished season since the program became a varsity sport in 1992. The Great Danes won their first America East Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's quarterfinal round, losing to eventual national champion Northwestern. UAlbany (18-1) was ranked in top 10 nationally in both polls for the first time, including No. 8 in the final Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) rankings.
Branchini made her second straight appearance on the IWLCA All-America Team as a second-team selection. She was also voted to the Synapse Sports All-America Team and earned first-team All-Northeast Region honors. During her career, she won or shared America East Player of the Year twice and became the third player in conference history to win multiple top player awards. Branchini is the first UAlbany player to be voted all-region three times and first-team all-conference in all four years. In 2011, she had 21 goals and three assists, plus ranked second nationally in draw controls at 5.26 per game.
UAlbany has placed 13 student-athletes on national Academic All-America teams since upgrading to the Division I level in 1999-2000. Branchini is the third woman to be selected.
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University at Albany's Academic All-Americans (Division I)
Baseball
Eddie Scott (2002, 3rd team)
Football
J.T. Herfurth (2000, 1st team)
Ryan MacLean (2002, 2nd team)
Victor Camacho (2003, 1st team)
David Parks (2003, 2nd team)
Men's Soccer
Stephan Hall (2005, 1st team)
Stephan Hall (2006, 1st team)
Softball
Amber Maisonet (2008, 1st team)
Men's At-Large
Emil Bove (2002, 2nd team, lacrosse)
Men's Track & Field/Cross Country
Andy Allstadt (2006, 2nd team)
Valete Graham (2010, 3rd team)
Women's At-Large
Olivia Jarem (2010, 2nd team, lacrosse)
Nikki Branchini (2011, 2nd team, lacrosse)
