AUSTIN, Texas – David Grana has made Saint Joseph's men's soccer program history with a spot on the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) 2020-21 Academic All-America First Team, becoming the first men's soccer Hawk to achieve First Team status. Additionally, Alan Kahlenbeck has been tabbed to the Second Team. Grana and Kahlenbeck were voted onto the Academic All-District First Team back on June 3 and advanced from there en route to becoming the only two men's soccer student-athletes out of the entire Atlantic 10 Conference to earn Academic All-America recognition.
 
Grana is now a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, having earned Third Team honors in 2019 and Second Team honors in 2018, while Kahlenbeck earns the honor for the first time, marking the first and only time in the 63-year history of the SJU men's soccer program in which multiple Hawks have earned CoSIDA Academic All-America recognition for the same season. Grana and Kahlenbeck join Ryan Dougherty (Third Team, 2001) in CoSIDA Academic All-America status.
 
An SJU biology graduate in May 2021, Grana is the only Atlantic 10 student-athlete on this year's First Team. The Rochester, N.Y. native started all seven of his matches played this spring, averaging 88.5 minutes per match. For his career, Grana was a four-year defensive starter for the Crimson and Gray, with 60 matches played (58 starts) and 11 points on four goals and three assists in 5,209 minutes. He will attend Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University this fall.
 
Joining Grana on the First Team are fellow defenders Joel Harrison of the University of Michigan, Kyle Hiebert of Missouri State University, and Kevin Morris of West Virginia University as well as forwards Zach Ryan (Stanford University), Lukas Sunesson (Marquette University), and Rene White (New Jersey Institute of Technology), midfielders Zach Maas (Utah Valley University), Pierre Reedy (Penn State University), and Lucas Rosa (Saint Francis University), and goalkeeper Andrew Thomas (Stanford University).
 
An SJU finance graduate in December 2020, Kahlenbeck played in seven matches with six starts this season. For his career, Kahlenbeck was a staple in SJU's midfield during his freshman (2017) and sophomore (2018) seasons, totaling six points on a goal and four assists. One of this year's team captains, Kahlenbeck worked his way back from injury (2019) to earn a starting role in the midfield this spring. The Indianapolis, Ind. native is pursuing his master's degree in finance from SJU while simultaneously working full-time as an analyst in the corporate development group at Essent, a mortgage insurance company based in Radnor, Pa.
 
Joining Kahlenbeck on the Second Team are fellow midfielders Billy Hency of Loyola University Chicago, Storm Strongin of Hofstra University, and Marc Ybarra of the University of Michigan as well as forwards Victor Bezerra (Indiana University), Mike Melaragni (Western Michigan University), and CJ Tibbling (Seton Hall University), defenders Spencer Glass (Indiana University), Jacob Graiber (University of Illinois at Chicago), Patrick Hogan (Charlotte), and Matt Nocita (U.S. Naval Academy), and goalkeeper Michael Creek (Missouri State University).
 
Kahlenbeck and Grana were SJU's goal scorers in the Hawks' 2-0 win over Drexel in the season opener back on February 27; Kahlenbeck buried the penalty kick in the 19th minute for the eventual match-winner while Grana scored SJU's security goal in the 52nd minute. With the win, the duo led SJU to the program's first win over Drexel since 1996.
 
While Grana earned an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship and Kahlenbeck was tabbed a Senior CLASS Award candidate, both were voted onto the Atlantic 10 Academic All-Conference Team for their performances both on the pitch and in the classroom.