2017 CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT - FOOTBALL

MINNEAPOLIS -- For the second straight year, Augsburg University offensive lineman Christopher Lemke (JR, Glencoe, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake HS) was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 6 Team for football, it was announced on Thursday. Lemke is a biology and chemistry major with a 3.96 grade-point average.

An All-MIAC honorable-mention selection in 2016, Lemke is a two-year starter at center for the Auggies. In 2017, he was part of an offensive line that enabled the team to average 359.4 yards per-game (855 rushing yards, 2,739 passing yards), sixth-best among MIAC teams in overall statistics, while allowing 70 tackles for-loss and 25 sacks. Augsburg's 273.9 passing yards per-game was tops among MIAC teams at the conclusion of the regular season. Under 13th-year head coach Frank Haege, Augsburg finished 4-6 overall, 2-6 in MIAC play in 2016.

He has appeared in 24 games over his Augsburg career, including all 20 games in the last two seasons. During his 24 career games, Augsburg has produced 8,507 yards of total offense (354.5 yards per-game), including 2,693 rushing yards and 5,814 passing yards, while allowing 178 tackles for-loss and 63 sacks.

One of four co-captains on the 2017 Auggie squad, Lemke earned Academic All-MIAC honors last year, and has been a Dean's List honoree. He is a member of the Tri-Beta biology honor society and the Augsburg Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Augsburg has had at least one football player earn CoSIDA Academic All-District honors every year since 2006, and has had 22 honorees in Haege's 13-year coaching tenure.

The Academic All-District team is part of the Academic All-America program, as selected by CoSIDA. Top student-athletes from NCAA Division III programs in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan are eligible for inclusion on the District 6 team, one of eight Division III districts nationwide. Student-athletes must have a grade-point average above 3.30 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. College sports information directors in the district vote for the teams. 

This is the seventh year of the expanded Academic All-America program, with separate teams comprising NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, along with a College Division team of NAIA, Canadian and two-year schools. First-team Academic All-District members advance to the Academic All-America ballot, voted on by a committee of CoSIDA members. 

The Division III Academic All-America program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2016-17 Division III Academic All-America teams program.

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(NOTE: Story includes information taken from CoSIDA Academic All-District release).