(Story courtesy of Texas Lutheran athletics)

SEGUIN, Texas -- Texas Lutheran University women's basketball senior forward Kristen Lee (San Antonio/Clark) advanced to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® ballot after claiming a spot Thursday on the CoSIDA Academic All-District 8 First Team. Complete CoSIDA Release

Only six players in all of District 8 - which includes colleges and universities in 21 states and Canada - were named to the 2017 Academic All-District First Team. Normally, five players are named, but there was a voting tie for the fifth and final spot.

Lye, TLU's leading scorer and rebounder, made the Academic All-District Team for the first time in her career. Her nomination moves to the national phase of the Academic All-America® program.

Sports information professionals from across the country will vote on the national ballot by Feb. 21. The Women's Basketball Academic All-America Team® for NCAA Division III will be announced Feb. 28.

Lye, a kinesiology major, holds a perfect 4.0 grade point average. She has specializations in exercise science and sports management.

Lye is scheduled to graduate in May 2017 and plans to do exercise research as well as research in the areas of battlefield health and trauma at Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) in San Antonio. After her research time at BAMC, she intends to enter graduate school.

Lye is in search of TLU's second Academic All-America® honor in women's basketball. TLU Athletics Hall of Famer Chantel Mize claimed the first in 1999.

Counting all TLU sports, the Bulldogs have produced 32 Academic All-Americans®. Senior offensive tackle Tyler Howlett of TLU Football became the 32nd this past November.

The fourth-leading scorer and fourth-leading rebounder in school history, Lye has been instrumental in the Bulldogs' success over the past four seasons. She played starring roles on TLU's 2014 NCAA Division III tournament team, the 2014 SCAC Tournament Championship team, the 2014 SCAC Regular-Season Championship squad, and the 2015 SCAC Regular-Season Championship team.

Lye has twice been named to the SCAC All-Tournament Team and was selected to the First Team All-Conference squad in 2016 after a Third Team All-Conference selection in 2015.

A power forward for the Bulldogs, Lye currently has the Bulldogs a half-game out of first place in the 2016-17 SCAC Women's Basketball standings with a 17-5 overall record and a 9-2 mark in conference action.

Lye averages a double-double for the Bulldogs, with 14.0 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. She leads TLU in both categories. Lye also leads TLU in field goals made (117) and field goals attempted (264). She shoots 44.3 percent from the field and 77.4 percent from the free throw line.

Among all NCAA Division III women's basketball players this season, Lye ranks 29^th in double-doubles recorded. She has 12 in 22 games.

For her TLU career, Lye has scored 1,176 points and registered 767 rebounds.

Together with her senior classmates Savannah Hight, Cierra Jordan, Caitlin Rendon, Bailey Champion, Caitlin Cote, Tiffany Dziuk and Sarah Flournoy, Lye is part of the TLU senior class that has posted the most women's basketball wins over four seasons. Entering this weekend's home contests against Colorado College and University of Dallas, the Bulldogs' senior class of 2016-17 is 71-32 with a winning percentage of .689.

Off the court, Lye and her teammates volunteer at Eden Cross Apartments in Seguin. Eden Cross is an affordable rental housing community for seniors age 62 and older.

Lye is the daughter of Bob and Caryn Lye of San Antonio. Kristen has two older brothers, Bobby and Garrett.