ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA PROGRAM (CoSIDA)
CoSIDA/ESPN THE MAGAZINE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA MEN'S SOCCER NEWS RELEASE

MINNEAPOLIS -- For the second straight season, Augsburg College men's soccer defender Alex Hildebrandt (SR, St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park HS) was named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America team in men's soccer, this year as a second-team selection.

An accounting/finance major with a 3.83 grade-point average, Hildebrandt was named to the second team in the College Division (non-Division I) on a vote of members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America Committee. It is the third year in a row that an Augsburg men's soccer player has earned Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA.

The award is the 22nd CoSIDA Academic All-America selection for Augsburg in school history and ninth since 2005. Hildebrandt is just the fifth Augsburg student-athlete to earn multiple CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, joining Ryan Valek (2005-06), Josh Cagle (1999-2000), Scott Hvistendahl (1997-98) and Karen Sterner (1986-87).

Hildebrandt was one of just nine repeat selections among the 33 student-athletes named to the three Academic All-America men's soccer teams this year, and one of just two Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference student-athletes to earn Academic All-America honors.

For Hildebrandt, the honor is the latest in a career filled with major accomplishments. Last week, he earned All-MIAC honors for the second straight year, and earlier this month, he earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District first-team honors for the second straight season. He was also an All-MIAC honorable-mention honoree in 2006, and earned All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team honors in both 2008 and 2009.

In 2008, Hildebrandt earned nearly every honor a collegiate soccer player can receive, earning National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas Division III All-America second-team and NSCAA/Adidas All-Far West Region first-team honors. In addition to his CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine academic honors, he was named to the NSCAA/Adidas Scholar All-Region squad and Scholar All-America first team, in addition to earning Academic All-MIAC honors.

This season, Hildebrandt finished with four goals for eight points in 1,464 minutes played (93.0 percent of Augsburg's 1,573 team minutes this season), including two game-winning goals. In his career at Augsburg (71 games), Hildebrandt finished with 14 goals and nine assists for 37 points, including five game-winning goals.

The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America program is administered by CoSIDA. Top student-athletes from non-Division I programs, who have already earned Academic All-District first-team honors, are eligible for inclusion on the College Division team. Student-athletes must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their current institutions, have a grade-point average above 3.30 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. The Academic All-America ballot is voted on by a committee of CoSIDA members. Since the program's inception in 1952, COSIDA has bestowed Academic All America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

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Augsburg College's All-Time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans:
Alex Hildebrandt, men's soccer, 2009 (second team)
Alex Hildebrandt, men's soccer, 2008 (third team)
Nick Manders, men's soccer, 2007 (second team)
Andrew Neumann, football, 2006 (second team)
Ryan Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2006 (first team)
Riley Conway, men's track and field/cross country, 2005 (second team)
Mark Matzek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2005 (first team)
Ryan Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2005 (third team)
Darren Ginther, baseball, 2005 (first team)
Brent Peroutka, football, 2001 (second team)
Josh Cagle, wrestling (men's at-large), 2000 (first team)
Brian Jones, wrestling (men's at-large), 2000 (second team)
Josh Cagle, wrestling (men's at-large), 1999 (second team)
Jim Peterson, wrestling (men's at-large), 1999 (second team)
Scott Hvistendahl, football, 1998 (second team)
Ted Schultz, football, 1997 (first team)
Scott Hvistendahl, football, 1997 (second team)
Dan Lewandowski, wrestling (men's at-large), 1997 (second team)
Andrea Haight, softball, 1991 (second team)
Karen Sterner, track and field (women's at-large), 1987 (second team)
Karen Sterner, track and field (women's at-large), 1986 (first team)
Paul Elliot, football, 1981 (only one team selected)