BALTIMORE – The College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) organization released its 2020-21 Academic All-America at-large teams on Friday, with Loyola University Maryland women's lacrosse midfielder Elli Kluegel selected as a second team honoree.

The Academic All-America teams honor the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. Kluegel is one of just 45 women across Division I to achieve All-America status in the at-large division, which includes all student-athletes from the sports of beach volleyball, bowling, rowing, fencing, field hockey, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming and diving, tennis and water polo.

The lone Loyola senior student-athlete to graduate with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average this spring, Kluegel earned a B.S. in biology while minoring in innovation and entrepreneurship. Of the 45 women's Academic All-Americans, Kluegel was one of 21 to hold a 4.0 GPA. She is the 16th student-athlete in Loyola's history to be named an Academic All-American, she is the first to be recognized on the second team or higher since 2014 (Joe Fletcher, men's lacrosse, second team) and she is the first women's lacrosse honoree since 1996 (Erika Schaub, third team).

She was previously selected as the Patriot League's Women's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year back in May. A Presidential Scholarship recipient, Kluegel is a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit, Phi Beta Kappa and Chi Alpha Sigma honor societies. She is also part of SAAC and the Greyhounds Leadership Academy, and she served as secretary for Omicron Delta Kappa, Loyola's chapter of the National Leadership Honor Society.

On the field, Kluegel earned second team All-Patriot League recognition while helping the Greyhounds finish with a 12-3 record, a fifth Patriot League Championship in seven seasons and a return trip to the second round of the NCAA tournament. She led the team with a career-high 30 ground balls and was tied for second in both goals (32) and caused turnovers (14). She netted four goals, including the game-winner with 1:40 remaining, in Loyola's 11-9 win over Hofstra in the opening round of the NCAA tournament.

Kluegel will enroll in graduate school and return to Loyola for a fifth season next spring, taking advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted after the 2020 season was shortened due to COVID-19. She will enter the 2022 season on a 13-game goal scoring streak, and with career totals of 126 points (111 G, 15 A), 72 ground balls and 33 caused turnovers through her first 62 collegiate appearances.

Stanford University's Brooke Forde, a senior swimmer and Olympic silver medalist, was recognized as the Academic All-America Women's At-Large Team Member of the Year. Kluegel was one of three Patriot League women honored, with Navy's Caroline Kwon (women's lacrosse) and Nicole Victory (women's lacrosse) included on the third team.

Kluegel is the third Loyola women's lacrosse student-athlete to receive CoSIDA Academic All-America accolades, joining Schaub and Colleen Anderson (1992, first team).