NEW HAVEN, Conn. (December 19, 2025) – University of Bridgeport senior defender Bruno Cakurs has been selected to the 2025 College Sports Communicators Division II Men’s Soccer Academic All-America® First Team, CSC announced on Tuesday. Felician University junior midfielder Keiji Sugiura was chosen to the CSC D-II Academic All-America® Third Team.

Academic All-American is a title reserved for college student-athletes who perform at an elite level in their chosen sport and in the classroom. Established in 1952 and selected by CSC, Academic All-America is the longest-running and premier award for athletic and academic success across championship college sports. Cakurs and Sugiura are the only two Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference student-athletes to make the 2025 men’s soccer teams.

Cakurs, from Rujiena, Latvia, helped lead Bridgeport to the NCAA Division II Round of 32. The Purple Knights won the 2025 CACC Championship, with Cakurs capturing the league Defensive Player of the Year award and the Top XVI Award for the highest GPA at the finals site. He headed a back line that allowed one goal or fewer in 14 contests. Cakurs carries a 4.00 grade-point average while majoring in finance.

Sugiura recorded nine goals and six assists for a Felician team that went 8-7-3 and reached the CACC quarterfinals. Earlier this month, he was named to the Division II Conference Commissioners Association All-America Third Team. A native of Tokyo, Japan, Sugiura maintains a 3.86 GPA as a business major.

Founded in 1961, the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference has been affiliated with NCAA Division II for 20 years. Conference institutions compete for championships in 17 sports – seven for men, nine for women, and one co-ed. The CACC contains 11 full members in Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania. Membership includes the University of Bridgeport, Caldwell University, Chestnut Hill College, Dominican University New York, Felician University, Georgian Court University, Goldey-Beacom College, Holy Family University, Post University, Thomas Jefferson University, and Wilmington University.