CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson senior John Martin is the recipient of the Elite 90 award for the 2021 NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship. The Elite 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers.
The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s championships. Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
Martin, majoring in heath science, currently carries a 4.0 GPA. The Clemson native was recognized with the award during the men’s soccer banquet on Thursday afternoon in Cary, N.C. He is the first player in Clemson men’s soccer history to claim the award, and the fourth Clemson student-athlete, joining Marisa Messana (women’s golf, 2016-17), Stephen Behr, Jr. (men’s golf, 2015-16) and Allison Colberg (women’s rowing, 2009-10).
The defender has played in 39 career games for the Tigers, including 12 this season. He has tallied two assists in his 12 appearances and four starts in the Tigers’ 2021 campaign. Martin plans to attend medical school beginning in fall of 2022, following his graduation in December 2021.
Martin and the No. 8 Clemson Tigers will play on Friday evening in the NCAA Tournament College Cup against ACC foe No. 4 Notre Dame. Kickoff is at 6 p.m. and the match will be televised on ESPNU.
For more information on the Elite 90 award winners, log on to https://www.ncaa.com/elite-90. Fore more information on Clemson men’s soccer, visit ClemsonTigers.com and follow @ClemsonMSoccer on Twitter and Instagram.
