Courtesy of GoCobbers.com, Release: June 25

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MOORHEAD, Minn. (6/25/06)-- Concordia seniors Natalie Hanson (Rogers, Minn./Elk River HS) and Angie Pfeiffer (Colman, S.D./Colman-Egan HS) were named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American

Track & Field/Cross Country First Team as selected by College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) it was announced on Tuesday.

Hanson and Pfeiffer are the first Academic All-Americans at Concordia since Pfeiffer was honored with Second Team All-American honors last season. She becomes the first athlete from Concordia to earn back-to-back Academic All-American honors since Renee Erickson '97, in 1996 and '97. For Hanson, it is the first time in her career that she has earned the ultimate Academic All-American honor.

Concordia was the only college in the College Division to have more than one athlete earn First or Second Team Academic All-American honors.

The pair are also the 13th and 14th athletes from Concordia to earn Academic All-American honors since the inception of the program as bestowed by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Hanson carried a 3.78 grade point average wile majoring in Environmental Studies and Biology and Pfeiffer had a 3.91 GPA while majoring in English Writing and Pre-Dentistry. Both athletes are planning on attending graduate school.

The pair are the fourth and fifth athletes from Concordia to earn Academic All-District First team honors during the 2005-06 athletic year (Matt Kleber, football; Keith Eckhoff, men's basketball; Annie Cullen, at-large). That is the most Academic All-District First team award-winners in one school year in the history of Cobber athletics.

The honor is given to athletes in the College Division of the Academic All-American award. The College Division includes players from NCAA Division II, III and NAIA from Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois and Indiana schools. Sophomores, juniors and seniors are eligible to be nominated. Student-athletes must have a grade-point average above 3.20 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. College sports information directors in the district vote for the teams.

Hanson earned her first All-American honors by placing fourth in the 1500 meters and sixth in the 800 meters at the recently completed NCAA Division III National Outdoor Track and Field at Benedictine University in Lisle, Ill. She became the third consecutive Cobber women's track and field athlete to earn multiple All-American awards in the same outdoor national championship meet. Last year Nicole Plante ('05, Fort Benton, Mont.) earned All-American status in the javelin and heptathlon and in 2004 Pfeiffer completed the feat in the 400 meters and 4x400-meter relay.

Hanson set school record in the 800 and 1500 meters this spring and automatically qualified for the national meet in both events. She was the first Cobber women's athlete to automatically qualify for two individual track events in over a decade.

Hanson also excelled in the fall in cross country. She earned All-Region honors by finishing fourth at the Central Region Meet held in Waverly, Iowa. She went on to compete in her first NCAA National Cross Country Meet.

Pfeiffer was recently named the USTFCCCA Central Region Athlete of the Year. She also earned her sixth All-American award by finishing third in the 400 meters at the national meet.

Pfeiffer won the 400 meters at the MIAC Championship Meet and earned Performance of the Meet for her record-breaking victory.

She also won the 400 meters at the MIAC Indoor Championship Meet and was awarded the Performance of the Meet award as she broke the MIAC meet record.

Pfeiffer finished her career by breaking 13 school records and competing in six NCAA national Championship Meets, including all four outdoor championship meets.

She won the MIAC Performance of the Meet award on three separate occasions and was named the MIAC Most Outstanding Track Athlete in 2004 when she helped the Cobber capture the MIAC Outdoor Track and Field Championship.

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ESPN The Magazine Academic All-American

Track and Field/Cross Country - College Division

FIRST TEAM
Elaine Binkley Denison Jr.
Mindy Erb Ohio Northern Sr.
Ellie Fernandez John Carroll
Natalie Hanson Concordia (Minn.)
Hailey Harren Gustavus Adolphus Jr.
Christine Hendricks Calvin Sr.
Jenny Irwin Ferris State Sr.
Laura Kline Kutztown Jr.
Becca Kueny Missouri-Rolla Jr.
Kristen Larson Emporia State Sr.
Julie Nemergut Edinboro Sr.
Angie Pfeiffer Concordia (Minn.) Sr.
Erin Powell Nebraska Wesleyan Sr.
Kelly Richards Edinboro Sr.
Missy Smith Calvin Sr.
Meghan Voiland Augustana (Ill.) Jr.

SECOND TEAM
Angie Aguilar Abilene Christian Jr.
Keidra Anderson Hamline Sr.
Natalie Badowski Washington (Mo.) Jr.
Molly Bauman St. Thomas (Minn.) Sr.
Iashia Castle Missouri Southern State Sr.
Meggie Feran Ohio Wesleyan Sr.
Whitney Heavner Lenoir-Rhyne Sr.
Adrienne (Musu) Jackson-Buckner Oneonta State Sr.
Mandy Kaempf Alaska Anchorage Jr.
Jenna Mitchler Wisconsin-Stevens Point Sr.
Ashlee Robertson Oneonta State
Jodie Schoppmann Potsdam Sr.
Jessica Trautwein Minnesota St. Moorhead Jr.
Katie Wieferich The College of Wooster Jr.

THIRD TEAM
DeeDee Arnall Pacific Sr.
Linda Blake Seattle Pacific Sr.
Rachel Bloom Tufts Sr.
Whitney Calvert Loras Jr.
Laurel Cook Embry-Riddle (Fla.) Jr.
Esther Erb Case Western Reserve So.
Stephanie Green Olivet Sr.
Megan Kielar Wisconsin-Whitewater Sr.
Shannon Klick Widener Sr.
Charise Parker Florida Tech Sr.
Elisa Pedersen Grove City Sr.
Kelli Peirano Otterbein Jr.
Julia Rudd Wisconsin-LaCrosse Sr.
Jessica Selby Missouri Southern State So.
Liz Terelle Ohio Northern Sr.
Jacqueline Wells Chadron State Sr.
Natalie Wood Texas Lutheran Jr.