CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA PROGRAM
CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA DIVISION III FOOTBALL TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT (CoSIDA)
MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg College center
Chad Thompson (JR, Maple Grove, Minn.) was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Division III Football Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), as a first-team offensive lineman, it was announced on Tuesday.
Thompson, an accounting/finance major with a 3.90 cumulative GPA, earned the academic honor for the first time in his career. Thompson has earned
All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference second-team honors in both 2012 and 2011, while earning Academic All-MIAC honors in 2011.
He was named to the Capital One Academic All-District 6 team in November.
The award is the 25th CoSIDA Academic All-America selection for Augsburg in school history and 12th since 2005. It is the 10th time an Auggie has earned earn CoSIDA Academic All-America first-team honors, and the seventh time an Auggie football player has earned the CoSIDA Academic All-America award in program history.
A two-year starter, Thompson was part of an Auggie offensive line that had one of its best seasons in recent history in 2012. As a team, Augsburg produced 4,712 yards of total offense –
the second-best per-game average among MIAC teams in overall statistics and
19th-best per-game average among NCAA Division III squads nationally. Augsburg's 237.9 rushing yards per-game was third-most among MIAC teams and 26th-most nationally, while its 233.3 passing yardage per-game was third-most among MIAC teams. Augsburg's 38.0 points per-game were tops among MIAC teams and 20th-best nationally among Division III squads. Augsburg produced 400-plus yards of total offense in nine of its 10 games, eclipsing the 500-yard barrier five times. Augsburg's rushing offense eclipsed the 200-yard mark in six games this season.
Augsburg's offensive line allowed just 31 tackles for-loss this season – third-fewest among NCAA Division III teams nationally – and its six sacks allowed this year (0.6 per-game) were tied for seventh-fewest among Division III teams nationally.
Thompson was one of four MIAC players named to the Academic All-America squad. Joining Thompson on the first team was Bethel defensive lineman Gavin Maurer and Concordia-Moorhead punter Brett Harmelink, while Concordia running back Brett Baune was a second-team selection.
The
Capital One Academic All-America program is administered by the
College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Forty-eight student-athletes were named to the Academic All-America Football Team -- 24 first-team members and 24 second-team members.
Top student-athletes, who have already earned Academic All-District first-team honors, are eligible for inclusion on the Academic All-America 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.
This is the second year of the expanded Academic All-America program, as CoSIDA has moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I), doubling the number of scholar-athletes honored. The teams include NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III participants, while the College Division team combines 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.
Under eighth-year head coach
Frank Haege, Augsburg finished 7-3 overall, 5-3 in MIAC play -- the best overall record for the Auggies since finishing 10-2 overall (9-1 MIAC) in its 1997 MIAC championship season. The 7-3 record also marks Augsburg's second straight above-.500 overall finish -- the first time Augsburg has finished above-.500 in consecutive seasons since a three-year stretch from 1997 to 1999.
Augsburg College's All-Time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans:
Chad Thompson, football, 2012 (first team)
Tony Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2012 (first team)
Tony Valek, wrestling (men's at-large), 2011 (first team)
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)
