ORLANDO – Six UCF women’s soccer players were named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team as announced by the organization on Tuesday.
The six Knights making the cut marked the most honorees in program history, besting five that the Black and Gold had in each of the past three seasons. It also tied for the most of any team as well as the most of any Big 12 institution.
The six Knights to earn Academic All-District honors this year were seniors Hannah Boughton and Haylee Mersereau, redshirt junior Maria Tregansin, junior Honoka Hamano, redshirt sophomore Jada Silvest, and sophomore Guta Franke. The recognition marked the second of Hamano’s career and the first for Boughton, Mersereau, Tregansin, Silvest and Franke.
The 2025-26 Academic All-District® Women’s Soccer teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. To be eligible for the award, one must be a sophomore or greater academically and athletically, obtain a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher, play in 90% of the team’s matches during the season or start 66% of the matches on the year.
The junior midfielder Hamano earned CSC Academic All-District honors for the second consecutive season after finishing second on the squad in assists with six and third on the team in scoring with four goals. The native of Tokyo, Japan also finished third in points with 14 and played in all 21 matches and made 19 starts. The general studies major with minors in business and non-profit management was one of four Knights to earn Second Team All-Big 12 accolades on the season.
The senior midfielder/defender Boughton earned her first Academic All-District accolades after having a strong year for the Knights in which she played in all 21 matches and logged 16 starts. She netted her second career goal in a 2-0 NCAA Tournament victory over Maine with a no-look header in the second half. The native of Colleyville, Texas logged a total of 1,458 minutes on the season. Boughton will earn a bachelor’s in general studies from UCF next month.
Senior defender Mersereau also received Academic All-District honors for the first time after being a key piece of UCF’s back line all season long. The Boca Raton, Florida native played in all 21 games for the Knights and made 19 starts. She also logged a total of 1,438 minutes on the pitch this season. Mersereau is currently pursuing a master’s degree from UCF in biomedical sciences after previously earning a bachelor’s degree from Pittsburgh in biological sciences earlier this year.
The redshirt junior midfielder Tregansin earned her first Academic All-District recognition after being UCF’s team captain for the 2025 season. She finished the year with a pair of assists, with one coming in a win over No. 16/10 Baylor and the other in a victory over in-state foe Florida Atlantic. Tregansin played in 19 matches and made 18 starts and capped her season by earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors. The native of Winter Garden, Florida earned a bachelor’s from UCF in biomedical engineering earlier this year and is currently working on a master’s degree in biomedical engineering.
Redshirt sophomore defender Silvest was tabbed Academic All-District for the first time after being one of UCF’s top defenders all season long. The center back played and started all 21 matches while helping anchor the Black and Gold’s back line. She scored her first collegiate goal in a 2-1 victory over No. 16/10 Baylor and also added a pair of assists on the season. The Land O’ Lakes, Florida native played all but 12 minutes of action on the pitch for the Knights in 2025 and was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Midseason Top 100 Player Rankings last month by checking in at No. 80. Silvest is pursuing a bachelor's degree in communication from UCF.
Sophomore defender Franke earned Academic All-District accolades for the first time after too being one of UCF’s top defenders. The native of Porto Alegre, Brazil played in 21 matches and made 20 starts. She recorded two assists on the year, with both coming in the Black and Gold’s 2-0 NCAA Tournament victory over Maine earlier this month. After her stellar performance against Maine, Franke was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Team of the Week. The UCF defender is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in communication from UCF.
The Knights had a strong 2025 campaign in which they went 12-4-5 overall and placed sixth in the Big 12 Conference with a 5-1-5 league mark. UCF went on to earn its 23rd all-time NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to the second round of this year’s championship with a 2-0 home victory over Maine in the first round. The seventh-seeded Black and Gold had their NCAA run come to a close last week with a hard fought 1-0 setback to the second-seeded Duke Blue Devils.
ABOUT UCF ATHLETICS
UCF is a proud member of the Big 12 Conference. Our mission is to positively transform the lives of our students academically, athletically, and personally through a nationally competitive intercollegiate athletics program that enhances the reputation and visibility of the University. We strive to be Florida's preeminent athletic program, representing UCF and our community with distinction on the national stage as "Orlando's Hometown Team". To learn more about UCF and Athletics, please visit our websites at www.ucf.edu and www.ucfknights.com.