CAPITAL ONE ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA DIVISION III MEN'S/WOMEN'S TRACK AND FIELD/CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS (CoSIDA)

Lauren Rice" data-saved-caption="undefined" style="padding-right:8px; float:left" src="/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_id=13&image_path=/images/2014/4/1//rice_lauren.jpg" />MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg College women's track and field student-athlete Lauren Rice (SR, Minnetonka, Minn./Holy Family Catholic HS) was named to the Capital One Academic All-America Division III Women's Track and Field/Cross Country Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), as a first-team selection on Tuesday.

Rice, who was named to the Capital One Academic All-District squad in May, is the fourth Auggie to earn Capital One Academic All-America honors this school year, joining football players Chad Thompson (SR, Maple Grove, Minn.) and Chris DeVet (JR, Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View HS), who were both named to the second team in football in December, and women's swimming and diving athlete Elianna Bier (SR, St. Paul, Minn./Highland Park HS), who was named to the women's at-large second team earlier this month. Augsburg student-athletes have been honored 30 times with CoSIDA Academic All-America honors since 1981, including 17 since 2005. It is the second time in school history, and first time since 2004-05, that Augsburg has claimed four Academic All-Americans in a single school year.
 
Rice had a career season for the Auggies in 2014, earning All-American honors twice. During the indoor season, Rice earned All-America honors with an eighth-place finish in the 5,000-meter run at the NCAA Division III Indoor National Championships in Lincoln, Neb. She won the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference indoor title in the 5,000-meter run, while placing second in the 3,000-meter run. During the outdoor season, Rice again earned All-American honors with a fifth-place finish in the 10,000-meter run at the NCAA Division III Outdoor National Championships in Delaware, Ohio. Rice placed second in the 3,000-meter run at the MIAC Outdoor Championships, while placing fifth in the 1,500-meter run.

Rice holds Augsburg's school records in the outdoor 5,000-meter run (17:21.98) and 10,000-meter run (35:46.43), along with the indoor 1-mile run (5:06.78), 3,000-meter run (9:59.28) and 5,000-meter run (17:07.98).

The Capital One Academic All-America program is administered by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). 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. Since the program's inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 20,000 student-athletes in NCAA Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

The Capital One 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 2013-14 Division III Academic All-America teams program. This is the third 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.

Capital One has been the entitlement rights holder to CoSIDA's Academic All-America programs since 2011. An NCAA Corporate Champion, Capital One began its affiliation with college sports with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) and ESPN's Capital One Bowl Week. In addition, Capital One sponsors the ABC College Football Halftime Report, Capital One All-America Mascot team, Capital One Academic All Program, and supports all 89 NCAA Championships including the Division I Men's and Women's Basketball Championships, and numerous other collegiate athletics programs.

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Augsburg College's All-Time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans:
Lauren Rice, women's track and field/cross country, 2014 (first team)
Elianna Bier, women's swimming and diving (women's at-large), 2014 (second team)
Chad Thompson, football, 2013 (second team)
Chris DeVet, football, 2013 (second team)
Bri Dorale, softball, 2013 (first team)
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) 

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(Note: This release includes information taken from the CoSIDA Academic All-District release and previous Augsburg Academic All-America news releases.)