Baune And Harmelink Named Academic All-District

MOORHEAD, Minn.  (11/13/12)—The unofficial awards season began on Tuesday as Brett Baune and Brett Harmelink were named to the Capital One Academic All-District Team. The pair helped Concordia finish the 2012 season with eight overall wins - the most since the 2005 season.               

Baune, the team's leading rusher, carries a 3.39 grade point average while majoring in Biology. Harmelink has been the team's starting punter the last two seasons and has a 3.90 GPA with majors in Accounting and Business Management. The duo is now eligible to earn Academic All-American honors.

The Capital One Academic All-District team is part of the Capital One Academic All-America program, as selected by CoSIDA. Top student-athletes from Division III programs in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan are eligible for inclusion on the District 6 team. Student-athletes must have a grade-point average above 3.30 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. College sports information directors in the district vote for the teams.   

This is the second year of the expanded Academic All-America program, as CoSIDA has moved from recognizing a University Division (Division I) and a College Division (all non-Division I), doubling the number of scholar-athletes honored. The 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. First-team Academic All-District members advance to the Academic All-America ballot, voted on by a committee of CoSIDA members.

Baune broke the school record for most touchdowns in a career. He finished with 34 TD's which is one more than current head coach Terry Horan's old mark of 33. Baune also became the first Cobber fullback to rush for over 1,000 yards in a single season. He finished the year with 1,050 yards and was second in the MIAC in rushing yards per game. Baune was also second in rushing scores and third in total rushing yards. He finished his career with 2,125 rushing yards which is the fourth most in school history.

Baune earned MIAC Offensive Player of the Week honors on two occasions this year.

Harmelinkhas been the team's starting punter for two straight seasons and has not had a punt blocked during that stretch. This season he was fifth in the MIAC in punt average. Harmelink averaged 36.0 yards on his 36 punts. He was also tied for second in the conference in punts downed inside the 20-yard line. Harmelink doubled as the team's kickoff man. He averaged 57.3 yards per kickoff this season and had five touchbacks.