UTEP's Heather Clark was named to the 2004 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women's Soccer First Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

A senior defender from Alamogordo, N.M., Clark carries a 4.0 grade point average in education. Clark helped anchor a Miner defense that limited their opponents to just 22 goals in 19 games. She finished her career with 17 points on four goals and nine assists in 70 games.

Clark is also a two-time Academic All-WAC honoree who is expected to add a third selection this season.

She is the second Miner to earn the honor in women's soccer. Holly Cohen was named Academic All-America in 2002.

UTEP went 13-5-1 and tied for second in the WAC with a 4-2-1 record. The Miners advanced to the WAC Tournament semifinals and spent much of the season ranked in the Soccer Buzz Central Region rankings.

The Academic All-America Teams program honors 816 male and female student-athletes annually who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America; a 2,000-member organization consisted of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.

To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Division I, II, III and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.