NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Christopher Newport University senior midfielder Michael Zimmerman was today selected to the 2012 Capital One Academic All-District Men's Soccer team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The honor recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.

Zimmerman will now be nominated for CoSIDA's Capital One Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.

The Durham, North Carolina native carries a 3.98 cumulative grade-point average through his first six semesters as a Captain, majoring in Accounting. A three-time selection to the USA South Academic All-Conference team, Zimmerman has been a leader for head coach Steve Shaw's team both on and off the field. He is a Canon Scholar at CNU and studied abroad at Oxford University. He is a member of the President's Leadership Program, Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society, Alpha Chi Academic Honor Society and the CNU Honors Program, and also represents his team and school on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee.

This year, Zimmerman has settled into the starting lineup, appearing in all 19 games with 12 starts. He has scored one goal and added four assists, helping guide the eighth-ranked scoring offense in the nation. He will join his teammates on the field at the Smith River Sports Complex in Martinsville, Virginia for the USA South Tournament semifinals at Noon on Friday, as the Captains take on Greensboro College.

Zimmerman, a District 5 selection, was the only USA South men's soccer student-athlete to earn the honor in 2012.

The Academic All-District ® teams include the student-athletes listed and are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the second year of the expanded Academic All-America® program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools.