St. Peter, Minn. – Gustavus Adolphus junior football player Torey Asao (Chaska, Minn.) has been named to the 2012 Academic All-District Football Team for District Six.
“Torey has been a tremendous captain for our team this year both on and off the field,” said Head Coach Peter Haugen. “He brings a level of excellence to academics and athletics that is a model for Division III. This is a very deserving honor for a player that truly embodies everything it means to be a true student-athlete.”
The 2012 Capital One Academic All-District Football Teams, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
The Academic All-District teams include the student-athletes listed on the following pages and are divided into eight geographic districts across the United States and Canada. This is the second year of the expanded Academic All‐America program as CoSIDA moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non Division I) and has doubled the number of scholar-athletes honored. The expanded 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.
Asao has started in all nines games at cornerback for the Gustavus football team this season. The junior ranks fifth on the team in tackles with a total of 40 (27 solo) and has one tackle for a loss. He has intercepted three passes and has defended on another five with two breakups. Asao’s three picks rank fifth in the MIAC, while he has also forced a fumble and blocked a kick.
In his first collegiate start, Asao turned his first interception of the season into points after returning the pick 55 yards for a touchdown to put the Gusties up 28-17 in a critical point of the third quarter against Simpson College in the season-opener. His interception return touchdown was the first since Brad Kruckeberg `11 took a pick back 70 yards for a score against Hamline on Oct. 9, 2010.
A two-time Academic All-MIAC recipient, Asao is a biology major with a cumulative grade point average of 3.71. Off the field, Torey is heavily involved in the Gustavus community – volunteering for the Study Buddies program and at Ridgeview Hospital in St. Peter. The Chaska product is also a member of many student led organizations including Student Athlete Volunteer Educators (SAVE), Student Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC), Tau Psi Omega fraternity (REDS), and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
Peter Haugen credits much of Torey’s success to his commitment to excellence both in the classroom and on the field. “He certainly has set the bar high for his teammates,” said Haugen, “but it is the respect for his coaches and others around him that really stand out to me. Torey’s humility and consistent caring of those he comes in contact with each day is remarkable. He is committed to his faith, family, education and football, and has impacted so many people in all those areas.”
Asao is one of 10 student-athletes from the MIAC to earn Academic All-District accolades.
First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the Capital One Academic All-America Team ballot, where first, second and third team All- America honorees will be selected later this month.