Xenofontos Selected for Prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship

Andreas Xenofontos, a key member of The College of Wooster's men's soccer team, was selected as one of 21 male fall sport student-athletes to be awarded a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, the NCAA announced this week.

Xenofontos is the first Fighting Scot men's soccer player to earn this prestigious scholarship. Wooster now has 20 all-time NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients, and Xenofontos' selection marks the first time Wooster's had a recipient in back-to-back academic years since the Scots' four-year run from 2003-07.

"I feel so honored and grateful on being selected for this highly-competitive scholarship," shared Xenofontos. "I want to thank Coach Andy Zidron for nominating me and making my Wooster experience so valuable the last three years. Transferring to Wooster as a sophomore was the best decision I made. I want to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Shelley Judge, and everyone who helped me with the application, including my professors, family, and friends. I will use this scholarship to help pay for graduate school. I have a couple of offers, and I'm going to decide which one to accept within the next month."

"I'm extremely proud of Andreas," added Zidron. "He has a special story, and this award is well deserved. Andreas has taken advantage of every opportunity to stretch himself to learn and grow at Wooster, and he makes the lives of those around him better. He is leaving a great legacy rooted in positive relationships, high standards, and tenacity. We are thankful he's a part of the Scot family and know he will continue to have a positive influence on the lives of others."

Xenofontos, an All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection in 2019, has 34 career appearances with the Scots, 30 of which are starts. In 2019, the business economics major tied for the team lead with 12 points. He was second on the squad with five goals and tied for fourth with two assists. He netted a pair of goals, including the game-winner, in a 3-2 overtime win against DePauw University, and scored the lone goal in a 1-0 win over Hiram College.

A two-time member of the NCAC Academic Honor Roll, Xenofontos is also a two-year participant in the NCAC's prestigious Branch Rickey Mentor Program. On campus, Xenofontos is a resident assistant, is involved with the International Student Association, and is involved with the Effective Altruism student organization. His Independent Study (I.S.) examines the phenomenon of match fixing in soccer. He's applying economic theory and quantitively analyzing the impact of match fixing on fan attendance and fan loyalty in the soccer market in Cyprus, his native country. Xenofontos was selected to present his I.S. research at the Eastern Economics Association Conference. Last summer, Xenofontos was part of an Applied Methods and Research Experience (AMRE) team, which examined the establishment of a sustainable art and culture district in Wooster.

Earlier during his undergraduate studies, Xenofontos was a finance intern with Cyprus Investment and Securities Corporations and spent a summer as a complex logistics distributor with Costas Christoudias. Prior to coming to the College, Xenofontos served as an infantry solider in Cyprus.

Upon graduation, Xenofontos plans to utilize the $10,000 award to aid with his pursuit of an advanced degree in sport management and business analytics. Long term, Xenofontos hopes to pursue a career in sports consulting and research, and may consider pursuing a Ph.D.

NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships are awarded annually to up to 126 student-athletes, who are selected by a committee that screens candidates who maintain at least a 3.2 GPA, have performed and behaved with distinction on and off the playing field, and intend to continue their academic work beyond the baccalaureate degree.

Of note, Wooster's 20 recipients now span 13 of the College's 23 varsity athletic teams.