MINNEAPOLIS — Augsburg College wrestler Tony Valek (JR, Belle Plaine, Minn./Scott West), son of Monica and Chuck Valek, was named to the Capital One Academic All-District College Division Men’s At-Large squad as a first-team recipient, it was announced on Thursday. Valek was named to the 10-member first team for the first time in his college career.
Valek earned All-American honors for the second time in his career at the NCAA Division III National Championships in March with a second-place finish for the second straight year at 149 pounds, part of Augsburg’s second-place national team finish at the championships in La Crosse, Wis. Valek qualified for the national tournament for the third straight year in 2011.
Valek earned the tournament’s award for most pins in least time, with three pins in 11:30 in the tournament. He finished his junior season at 37-6 and is 102-24 in his career.
An accounting major with a 3.94 grade-point average, Valek also earned National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America honors for the second straight year, part of an Augsburg squad that finished fifth nationally in the Division III Scholar Team Award race with a 3.4947 team grade-point average.
As a team, Augsburg finished second in the national championships with an individual national titlist, three runners-up and five All-Americans, finishing among the top four teams nationally for the 23rd straight season.
Augsburg, winners of 11 national titles in the last 21 seasons, finished second for the 10th time in school history (nine in Division III, once in NAIA). Augsburg has finished among the top four teams nationally in Division III competition every year since 1989 and in the top 20 nationally every year since 1971.
The Capital One Academic All-District team is part of the Capital One Academic All-America program, administered by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The men’s at-large team covers student-athletes in 12 sports — fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.
Top student-athletes from non-Division I programs in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Ontario and Manitoba are eligible for inclusion on the Academic All-District team. Student-athletes must have a grade-point average above 3.30 (4.0 scale) and have outstanding athletic credentials. College sports information directors in the district vote for the teams.
First-team Academic All-District members advance to the Academic All-America ballot, voted on by a committee of CoSIDA members. The Academic All-America men’s at-large team will be announced on June 7.