Cobbers Earn Scholar All-American Team Honors

MOORHEAD, Minn. (3/19/12)-- Concordia earned Scholar All-American Team honors it was announced by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). The Cobbers placed sixth in all of Division III with a 3.42 overall grade point average.

It is the second time in the past three seasons that Concordia has earned the prestigious coaches association honor. The Cobbers were also honored in 2010 when they had a 3.20 team GPA.

In order to be named an NWCA Scholar All-American Team a team is judged on the following criteria:  1) the team GPA is calculated as an average of the top 10 students on each team.  2) At least six of the 10 chosen must have competed in the NCAA qualifying tournament, while the other athletes must have competed in at least 50 percent of the teams scheduled contests.

Concordia sophomore Kyle LeDuc also earned NWCA Division III Scholar All-American honors. LeDuc carries a 3.78 GPA while majoring in biology.

The other members of the Cobbers' Scholar All-American included senior Zach Deffinbaugh, juniors Josten Coleman, Mike Holman and Nathan Schmitz, sophomores Brandon Haluptzok and freshmen Jacoby Bergeron, Sebastian Gardner, Chris Harrison and Jake Krogstad.

The 10 wrestlers helped the Cobbers finish 13th at the NCAA Championship Meet. It is the third straight season that Concordia has finished in the top 15 of the nation. CC was also ranked in the top 20 of the nation in the Brute NWCA Division III poll the entire season.   

The top 10 teams to earn Division III Scholar All-America Team honors included Augsburg ( 3.73), Olivet (Mich.) (3.54), Johnson and Wales (R.I.) (3.46), Wesleyan (Conn.) (3.44), UW-La Crosse (3.44), Concordia-Moorhead (3.42), Thiel (Pa.) (3.42), Williams (Mass.) (3.41), New York Univ. (3.39) and Ithaca (N.Y.) (3.39).