Two Academic All-District Honorees

MOORHEAD, Minn. (5/26/16)—Matthew Lillehaugen (Jr., Moorhead, Minn.) and Gabe Wright (Sr., Moorhead, Minn.) were both named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 6 Team in Division III track and field and cross country it was announced on Thursday.

It is the first time for both student/athletes to earn the prestigious award and both advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America voting.

Only 10 student/athletes were recognized as Academic All-District 6 recipients which included over 100 entrants from schools from Minnesota, Michigan and Wisconsin. Concordia was one of only two schools to have more than one student/athlete receive the District 6 honor.

Lillehaugen and Wright both scored team points at the recently completed MIAC Outdoor Championship Meet and helped the Cobbers finish eighth in the final team standings.

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.

Wright finished his college career at Concordia with a 3.96 GPA while majoring in Mathematics. He is planning on attending graduate school.

Wright was one of the top all-around athletes for the Cobbers. He finished seventh in both the MIAC indoor heptathlon and outdoor decathlon competitions.

Wright also excelled in the high jump during both track seasons. He placed fourth at the MIAC Indoor Meet by clearing a personal best height of 6-04.75 and was fourth at the MIAC Outdoor Meet with a mark of 6-05.00. Both fourth-place finishes earned him MIAC All-Conference Honorable Mention honors.     

Wright also qualified for the 110-meter hurdles at the MIAC Outdoor Meet and the 55-meter hurdles at the conference indoor meet.


2015-16 Academic All-District Men's Track & Field /Cross Country Team District 6