Five Gustavus Adolphus College student athletes were recognized recently as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) released the 2007 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V College Division At-Large Teams. Andy Bryan (men’s tennis), Margaret Dorer (women’s hockey), and Nicole Gergen (gymnastics) were named to the first team, while Connor Ziegler (men’s swimming and diving) and Jaime Gaard (women’s tennis) were honored on the second team.
Andy Bryan (Jr., Edina, Minn.) posted an 30-11 singles record and a 22-12 doubles record, playing primarily at No. 1 singles and doubles (with Jesse Brauer) this season for the Gusties. Bryan posted runner-up finishes in both singles and doubles at last fall’s ITA Midwest Region Championship and then was was selected for both the singles draw and the doubles draw (with Brauer) at the 2007 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championships in St. Louis, Missouri. Bryan advanced to the quarterfinal round of both draws before bowing out. His progress at the NCAA Championships earned him ITA Division III All-America honors in both singles and doubles. He is also a two-time ITA Scholar Athlete.
Margaret Dorer (Jr., St. Paul, Minn./St. Anthony Village), a second team CoSIDA Academic All-District V selection a year ago, was named a First Team All-American by the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) in March. Dorer, also an All-MIAC selection for the second consecutive year, ranked third on the team with 32 points on nine goals and 23 assists. Dorer also ranked third in Division III in points by a defender, averaging 1.19 points per game, and is tied for 30th among all players, regardless of position. Seven of Dorer’s nine goals were scored on the power play. Her 23 assists ranked second on the team behind Division III Player of the Year Andrea Peterson and her 0.85 assists per game ranked tied for 12th in Division III. Dorer is tied for tenth place on the Gustavus career points list with 87 and her 62 career assists are sixth in school history.
Nicole Gergen (Sr., Hastings, Minn.) made her third appearance at the National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA) Championships this winter, finishing 11th on the balance beam with a score of 8.900 and tying for 29th on the floor exercise with a score of 9.375. Gergen was also recognized at the national meet as a member of the NCGA All-Academic Team. Gergen led the team with an 8.973 average on the balance beam and a 9.019 average on the floor exercise. Her season-high scores of 9.225 on the beam and 9.375 on the floor both came during event prelims at the national meet. Gergen was also recently awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Connor Ziegler (Jr., Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) picked honorable mention All-America honors in three events at the 2007 NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Houston in March. Ziegler placed 10th in the 200 butterfly (1:52.24) and 14th in the 100 butterfly (50.36) while also swimming on the 11th-place 400 medley relay team (3:27.12). At the MIAC Championships, was a four-time All-MIAC performer, taking second in the 200 butterfly (1:52.62) and as part of the 200 medley relay (3:28.29) and 400 medley relay (1:33.52). Ziegler also placed third in the 100 butterfly (50.57).
Jaime Gaard (Sr., Edina, Minn.) accumulated an 18-10 record playing primarily at No. 2 singles and a 21-6 doubles record at No. 2 doubles (primarily with Hannah Frericks and Jenni White). A four-time All-MIAC selection, Gaard was also an ITA All-American in 2006. Like Dorer, Gaard was also a Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-District V College Division selection in 2006. Gaard ended the year ranked 13th in both singles and doubles (with Jenni White) in the ITA Central Region.
Bryan, Dorer, and Gergen will now advance to the national ballot. The ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Men’s At-Large Team will be released by CoSIDA Tuesday, June 12, while the Women’s At-Large Team will be released Thursday, June 14.
The Academic All-America program annually honors over 1600 student-athletes who have succeeded at the highest level on the playing field and in the classroom. Individuals are selected through voting by CoSIDA (the College Sports Information Directors of America), a 2,000-member organization consisting of sports public relations professionals for colleges and universities in the United States and Canada.
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.
Bryan, a management major, is the son of Roy Bryan and Ann Ludwig Bryan of Edina and a 2004 graduate of Edina High School. Dorer, a Scandinavian studies and psychology major, is the daughter of Michael and Rose Dorer of St. Paul and a 2003 graduate of St. Anthony Village High School. Gaard, a communication studies major, is the daughter of Mike and Peggy Gaard of Edina and a 2003 graduate of Edina High School. Gergen, a chemistry major, is the daughter of Jim and Kathy Gergen of Hastings and a 2003 graduate of Hastings High School. Ziegler, a biology major, is the son of Connie Ziegler of St. Joseph and a 2004 graduate of Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.