Five Gustavus Adolphus College student athletes have been recognized as the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) released the 2009 ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V College Division At-Large Teams. Kimbra Kosak (women’s golf), Melissa Mackley (women’s hockey), David Martinson (men’s hockey) and Dave Pearson (men’s swimming and diving) were named to the first team, while John Kauss (men’s tennis) was honored on the second team.
Kimbra Kosak (Sr., Grand Rapids, Minn.) finished tied for 27th place overall at the 2009 NCAA Division III Women’s Golf Championships in Port St. Lucie, Florida, where Gustavus earned third place. She was a two-time honorable mention All-America honoree in 2007 and 2008 and Midwest All-Region honoree in 2008 and 2009, and was named the Division III Kim Moore Spirit Award Winner in 2008. Kosak was also recently named the MIAC Senior Player of the Year. 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.
Melissa Mackley (Jr., Burnsville, Minn.), a 2009 First Team All-America and All-MIAC selection, was a captain for the Gustavus women’s hockey team this season. Mackley led the Gusties in scoring with eight goals and 19 assists for 27 points. She finished second in the MIAC in scoring with seven goals and 15 assists for 22 points, second in assists with 15 and second in power play points with nine (1g, 8a). Mackley, a biology and pre-medicine major, is the daughter of Clarence and Icy Mackley of Burnsville and a 2006 graduate of Burnsville High School.
David Martinson (Jr., St. Louis Park, Minn.), a 2009 First Team All-America honoree, helped the Gusties earn second place in the NCAA Division III Men’s Hockey Championships this season. He led Gustavus in scoring with 26 goals and 15 assists for 41 points, and ranked second in Division III in goals scored at 26. The two-time All-MIAC selection also led the squad with seven power-play goals and five game-winning goals. Martinson, an accounting major, is the son of Phil and Lynn Martinson of St. Louis Park and a 2004 graduate of St. Louis Park High School.
Dave Pearson (Sr., Woodbury, Minn.) was a key member of men’s swimming and diving teams that won MIAC Championships in 2006 and 2008 and finished second in 2007 and 2009. He was a part of several relay teams including the 800 yard free relay that finished first at the MIAC Championships in both 2008 and 2009 and went on to earn All-America honors at the NCAA Championships with a sixth place finish in 2008 and an eighth-place finish in 2009. The 2008 800 free relay team set the conference and school record with a time of 6:44.64. Pearson earned All-MIAC honors by finishing in the top three in an individual event or relay seven times during his career. He was also awarded an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Pearson, a chemistry major, is the son of Scott and Kathleen Pearson of Woodbury and a 2005 graduate of Stillwater Area High School.
John Kauss (Sr., St. Paul, Minn./Harding) has posted a 31-6 singles record and a 28-6 doubles record playing at No. 1 singles and doubles (with Mike Burdakin) this season for the Gusties. He won both singles and doubles titles at last fall’s ITA Midwest Region Championship before winning the ITA Small College Singles Championship and finishing second in the ITA Small College Doubles Championship. As a result, he was selected to represent the United States at the International University Challenge of Tennis held in France. He enters the 2009 NCAA Division III Men’s Tennis Championships in Claremont, Calif. as the top-seed in both the singles draw and the doubles draw (with Burdakin), which begin Friday, May 22. Kauss, a management major, is the son of Del and Linda Kauss of St. Paul and a 2005 graduate of Harding High School.
Kosak, Mackley, Martinson, and Pearson 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 9, while the Women’s At-Large Team will be released Thursday, June 11.
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 3.30 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.