Schmidt - Bonander Named to ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-America At-Large Teams
May 12, 2008
Senior swimmer Elissa Schmidt (Claremont, Minn./Owatonna) and junior wrestler Alec Bonander (Larchwood, Iowa/West Lyon) have been named to the ESPN The Magazine's Academic Women's and Men's All-America At-Large Teams.
Both student-athletes were selected from a pool of first-team all-district honorees from eight regions. This year’s ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women’s and Men's At-Large Teams consisted of 15 first-team, 15 second-team and 15 third-team honorees, for a total of 45 athletes chosen for this outstanding honor for each gender. With this award, Schmidt and Bonander become the 43rd and 44th Luther student-athletes to earn this award and the first since 2005.
This is an annual award sponsored by ESPN The Magazine and the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). This award is presented to student-athletes who excel both in the classroom and on the field of competition. They must maintain a grade point average of 3.20 or greater and be a major contributor to their sport. Sports information directors nominate and vote on the athletes selected. Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, II and NAIA covering all NCAA championship sports.
Schmidt, who graduated from Luther this spring, was a biology major who accumulated a grade point average of 3.85. Earlier this year, Schmidt became the 29th Luther student-athlete to be the recipient of a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate award. She is the daughter of Brian and Robin Schmidt of Claremont, Minn.
Schmidt returned home from the 2008 NCAA III National Swimming and Diving Championships as a four-time All-American. To earn All-America honors, an individual or a relay team must place in the top-8 of their respective event.
Individually, Schmidt finished fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:51.81) and seventh in the 100 freestyle (51.78). Schmidt also earned honorable mention All-America honors in the 50 freestyle finishing 12th (24.15).
Schmidt recorded her two other All-America honors swimming the first leg for both the 800 freestyle relay and the 400 freestyle relay.
Bonander is a management major who has accumulated a grade point average of 3.81. He is the son of Rod and Lannie Bonander of Larchwood, Iowa.
Bonander completed his junior year with a record of 27-7 increasing his career total to 79-21. He made his third consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III National Wrestling Championships where he earned his second All-America honor placing fifth at 197.
