Five Gustavus Adolphus College student athletes were recognized recently as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) released the 2008 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V College Division At-Large Teams. Andy Bryan (men’s tennis), Margaret Dorer (women’s hockey), Laura Edlund (women’s Nordic skiing) and Connor Ziegler (men’s swimming and diving) were named to the first team, while Kimbra Kosak (women’s golf) was honored on the second team.
Andy Bryan (Sr., Edina, Minn.), a second team CoSIDA Academic All-America selection and a first team CoSIDA Academic All-District V selection last year, posted a 29-5 singles record and a 28-6 doubles record, playing at No. 1 singles and doubles (with Charlie Paukert) this season for the Gusties. Bryan won both singles and doubles titles at last fall’s ITA Midwest Region Championship and then was was selected for both the singles draw and the doubles draw (with Paukert) at the 2008 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championships in Lewiston, Maine. Bryan bowed out of the first round of the singles draw before finishing as a runner-up in the doubles draw. His season accomplishments earned him ITA Division III All-America honors in both singles and doubles. He was also named the ITA Division III Senior Player of the Year. Bryan, a biology and management major, is the son of Roy Bryan and Ann Ludwig Bryan of Edina and a 2004 graduate of Edina High School.
Margaret Dorer (Sr., St. Paul, Minn./St. Anthony Village), a 2007 CoSIDA Academic All-America honoree and a 2006 second team CoSIDA Academic All-District V selection, was also awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Dorer, a two-time All-MIAC selection, was a four-year regular as a defender for the Gustavus women’s hockey team and a 2007 First Team All-America performer. Dorer scored 26 goals and registered 65 assists for 91 points in 101 games in her career. Her 65 career assists rank sixth all-time at Gustavus, while her 91 points rank ninth all-time. 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.
Laura Edlund (Sr., Forest Lake, Minn.) turned in the highest finish ever by a Gustie at the NCAA Skiing Championships with an 18th place finish in the 15K Classic race at Bozeman, Mont. Edlund recorded the highest Central Collegiate Ski Association finish by a Gustie skier, as she finished sixth in the CCSA standings and was named to the All-CCSA Second Team. Edlund also was part of a duo (with Sarah Willis) to win the Minnesota Collegiate Championships in February. Edlund, a Social Studies teaching and history major, is the daughter of Stephen and RuthAnne Edlund of Forest Lake and a 2004 graduate of Forest Lake High School.
Connor Ziegler (Sr., Sauk Rapids, Minn./Sauk Rapids-Rice) earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 200 butterfly with a 13th place finish (1:51.63) at the 2008 NCAA Division III Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships in Oxford, Ohio in March. At the 2008 MIAC Championships, Ziegler finished third in the 200 butterfly (1:54.48) and as part of the second place 200 medley relay (1:34.63) and the second place 400 medley relay (3:28.24). Ziegler was also recently awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Ziegler, a biology major, is the son of Connie Ziegler of Tempe, Arizona and a 2004 graduate of Sauk Rapids-Rice High School.
Kimbra Kosak (Jr., Grand Rapids, Minn.) finished tied for sixth place overall at the 2008 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championships in Waverly, Iowa in May. Kosak set a new 72-hole school record of 303, breaking the previous mark of 314, which she set at the 2007 NCAA Championships where she finished fifth overall. She received honorable mention All-America honors for the second consecutive season and was named to the Midwest All-Region Team. Kosak was also recently awarded the 2008 Division III Kim Moore Spirit Award by the National Golf Coaches Association. Kosak, an elementary education major, is the daughter of Mary Kosak and the late Jim Kosak of Grand Rapids and a 2005 graduate Grand Rapids High School.
Bryan, Dorer, Edlund and Ziegler 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 10, while the Women’s At-Large Team will be released Thursday, June 12.
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.