SEWARD, Neb. – Members of the Concordia University track and field programs dominated the list of 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District® Men's and Women's Track & Field/Cross Country teams released on Tuesday (May 29) by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Concordia all-district honorees include seniors Emily Deschaine and Scott Johnson and juniors Samantha Liermann and Josiah McAllister. Liermann is now a two-time Academic All-District award winner.
The Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-District® Track & Field/Cross Country Teams have been released to recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom. For more information about the Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit http://cosida.com.
Deschaine, a native of Frankenmuth, Mich., concluded a stellar cross country career this past fall. She earned GPAC all-conference honors for the third-straight year courtesy of a sixth-place finish at the GPAC championships. She qualified for the national championships for the third time and placed 131st in a race that took place in Vancouver, Wash. Deschaine has also been an NAIA Scholar-Athlete as a junior and senior. She qualified for the 2015 NAIA Indoor Track and Field National Championships in the 3,000 and 5,000 meter runs. Deschaine graduated with degrees in secondary education, English and music.
Johnson, who hails from Kansas City, Kan., qualified for both the indoor and outdoor national championships in 2018. A two-time NAIA Scholar-Athlete, Johnson enjoyed one of the biggest thrills of his career when he won the GPAC triple jump title at the 2018 indoor conference meet. Johnson ranks inside the top three on the program’s all-time lists for the indoor and outdoor long jump and triple jump. Johnson has six career all-conference awards. He graduated with degrees in biology and chemistry.
Liermann, who calls Wisner, Neb., home, is a bona fide star. In 2018, Liermann won the indoor shot put national title and placed as the runner up at the NAIA outdoor championships. She also swept GPAC shot put titles. The University of Nebraska transfer has achieved All-America status at each of the six national meets she has competed in. Liermann is a strong candidate for her first career Academic All-America award. Her efforts at the outdoor national championships put her on top of the school record books in the outdoor shot put. She is majoring in recreation and sport studies and business administration.
A junior from Atkinson, Neb., McAllister helped the men’s 4x400 meter relay to a season best performance at last week’s NAIA outdoor national championships. A three-time national qualifier, McAllister has been a big contributor on the conference level. In 2018, he placed second in the 800 meters at the GPAC outdoor championships and third in the one mile at the conference indoor meet. An NAIA Scholar-Athlete and son of former Concordia football offensive coordinator Bill McAllister, Josiah is on a pre-medicine track.
Academic All-District® honorees advance to the Google Cloud CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, where first-, second- and third-team All-America honorees will be announced on Monday, June 18.
2017-18 Academic All-District Honorees
Emily Deschaine, Cross Country / Track & Field
Scott Johnson, Track & Field
*Philly Lammers, Basketball
*Hallick Lehmann, Football
Samantha Liermann, Track & Field
Nick Little, Baseball
Josiah McAllister, Track & Field
2016-17 Academic All-District Honorees
Jake Adams, Baseball
*Amy Ahlers, Golf
*Chandler Folkerts, Basketball
Le’Dontrae Gooden, Football
*Hallick Lehmann, Football
*Sam Liermann, Track & Field
*CJ Muller, Track & Field
Lucas Wiechman, Track & Field
2015-16 Academic All-District Honorees
*Amy Ahlers, Golf
*Stephanie Coley, Track & Field
*Chandler Folkerts, Basketball
*Hallick Lehmann, Football
Adam Meirose, Football
Becky Mueller, Basketball
*CJ Muller, Track & Field
*Kim Wood, Cross Country/Track & Field
2014-15 Academic All-District Honorees
Amy Ahlers, Golf
*Brendan Buchanan, Soccer
Stephanie Coley, Track & Field
*Chandler Folkerts, Basketball
Jaydee Jurgensen, Baseball
Adam Meirose, Football
Bailey Morris, Basketball
*Rachel Mussell, Soccer
Shawn Rodehorst, Golf
Ben Sievert, Cross Country/Track & Field
Melissa Stine, Soccer
*Academic All-American