2017 CoSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA DIVISION III FOOTBALL TEAMS
MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg University offensive lineman
Christopher Lemke (JR, Glencoe, Minn./Glencoe-Silver Lake HS) was named to the Academic All-America Division III Football Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), it was announced on Wednesday. A first-team Academic All-America honoree, Lemke is a biology and chemistry major with a 3.96 grade-point average.
An
All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference second-team selection in 2017 and
All-MIAC honorable-mention selection in 2016, Lemke is a two-year starter at center for the Auggies. He was named to the
CoSIDA Academic All-District squad for the second straight year in November.
In 2017, Lemke 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. 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.
Lemke is the 13th Augsburg football player in school history to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors, and sixth first-team selection. Across all sports, Augsburg student-athletes have now been honored 37 times with CoSIDA Academic All-America honors since 1981, including 24 honors since 2005. Among the 13 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference schools, Augsburg has had the fourth-most CoSIDA Academic All-Americans all-time.
The
CoSIDA 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.
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.
Augsburg College's All-Time CoSIDA Academic All-Americans:
Christopher Lemke, football, 2017 (first team)
Nate Flynn, men's ice hockey (men's at-large), 2017 (second team)
Mary Cornelius, women's track and field/cross country, 2016 (third team)
Erika Allen, women's ice hockey (women's at-large), 2016 (second team)
Zach Swingen, football, 2015 (first team)
Chris DeVet, football, 2014 (first team)
Zach Swingen, football, 2014 (second team)
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)
(Note: This release includes information taken from Augsburg's CoSIDA Academic All-District release and previous Augsburg Academic All-America news releases.)
