Lillehaugen Is Academic All-American
MOORHEAD, Minn. (6/23/16)--- Concordia junior Matthew Lillehaugen was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American team for cross country and track and field.
Lillehaugen, who earned Academic All-American Third Team honors, was one of only 46 athletes from all of NCAA Division III to earn the award. He is also one of only four men's athletes from the MIAC to be placed on one of the three Academic All-American teams.
Lillehaugen becomes the first Concordia men's track and field athlete to earn the top Academic All-American honor since 2000 when Micah Benson earned the award in back-to-back seasons.
Lillehaugen is also the second Concordia student/athlete to earn Academic All-American honors this spring. Senior baseball standout Tim Carlson also earned the prestigious honor earlier in the month. Lillehaugen becomes the 20th Cobber student/athlete to earn Academic All-American honors since 2000.
To become eligible to earn CoSIDA Academic All-American honors a student/athlete must have a grade-point average above 3.30 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. The student/athlete has to then be placed on the Academic All-District Team as selected by college sports information directors.
Lillehaugen has a 4.00 grade point average and is majoring in Political Science and Global Studies. He is coming off his best season of track and field. Lillehaugen earned MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention honors at both the MIAC Indoor and Outdoor Championship Meets.
Lillehaugen placed sixth in the 800 meters at the MIAC Outdoor Meet and was fifth in the 1000 meters at the MIAC Indoor Meet. He had several Top 10 all-time Cobber times during the year. His time of 2:32.21 in the 1000 meters at the conference indoor meet is in the Top 5 on the school's all-time list and is the fastest run by a Cobber since 2005. Lillehaugen also clocked a 3:59.88 at the Wis.-La Crosse NCAA Qualifier Meet to become only the 12th athlete in school history, and first since 2005, to run a sub 4-minute 1500 meters.
Lillehaugen was also a member of the Cobber cross country team and was in the top 4 of the squad at the MIAC Championship Meet.
Among the 46 student-athletes on the CoSIDA Division III Men's Academic All-America® Track & Field/Cross Country Team, 12 have a 4.0 grade-point average. The 15 members of the men's track & field first team carry an average G.P.A. of 3.90.
The CoSIDA Division III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2015-16 Division III Academic All-America® teams program.
Complete list of 2016 Cross Country/Track & Field Academic All-Americans (pdf)
Cobber CoSIDA Academic All-Americans Since 1991
2016 - Matthew Lillehaugen - Men's Track & Field
2016 - Tim Carlson - Baseball
2012 - Kaari Jensen - Women's Track & Field
2012 - Brett Baune - Football
2012 - Brett Harmelink - Football
2011 - Erica Nord - Women's Basketball
2010 - Riley McGlynn - Men's Soccer
2009 - Sam Johnson - Women's Soccer
2009 - Erika Swenson - Women's Soccer
2008 - Melanie Hageman - Women's Basketball
2008 - Justin Foss - Men's Soccer
2008 - Levi DeVries - Football
2007 - Grant Weller - Football
2006 - Annie Cullen - Women's Swimming and Diving
2006 - Natalie Hanson - Women's Track & Field
2006 - Angie Pfeiffer - Women's Track & Field
2005 - Angie Pfeiffer - Women's Track and Field
2004 - Jordan Talge - Football
2004 - Jessica Walden - Women's Volleyball
2000 - Micah Benson - Men's Track & Field
1999 - Micah Benson - Men's Track & Field
1999 - Laura Utke - Women's Track & Field
1998 - Bob Zacher - Football
1997 - Renee Erickson - Women's Track & Field
1996 - Renee Erickson - Women's Track & Field
1992 - Kristi Farver - Women's Track & Field
1992 - Kris Kuehl - Women's Track & Field
1991 - Chris Reimertz - Football