University of St. Thomas Athletics
Football's Zach Bennett gets elite CoSIDA academic award
7/14/2021 11:00:00 AM | Football
CoSIDA News Release
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St. Thomas Football long snapper and tight end Zach Bennett is among 51 players named to the 2020-21 Division III Football Academic All-America Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Bennett was a second-team selection in the special teams category.
Bennett's Academic All-America honor is the 12th for Tommie Football in the last 12 seasons to go with 31 other on-field All-America awards.
A Woodbury, Minn., native and East Ridge High grad, the versatile Bennett was a Mechanical Engineering major with a 3.86 gpa. Bennett made honorable mention All-MIAC as a starting long snapper, and also contributed at tight end, and was part of the Tommies' 27-6 record in his era. As a tight end, he had 13 catches for 140 yards and one touchdown. Bennett was St. Thomas' Good Works Team nominee in fall 2020 for his exceptional campus and community service. He served as co-President of the campus Fellowship of Christian Athletes group; was the team's Father Lavin Award recipient for spiritual leadership; worked two paid summer internships: a medical supply manufacturer, plus an engineering technology company; was a four-year participant in St. Jude's "Up 'til Dawn" student fundraiser event and helped his team collectively raise more than $100,000 and lead all national student fundraising groups each year; and was a volunteer at the Global Health Ministries non-profit for two years.
Bennett is the fourth Tommie recipient for this school year and St. Thomas' 112th CoSIDA AAA award in program history. That total that puts the Tommies in the top 55 of all 1,000-plus colleges and universities in the nation. Their 92 honors since the 2000 year puts then in the top 10 of Division III and in the top 25 of all universities..
Six Co-SIDA Academic All-America teams have yet to be announced for 2020-21, including softball, baseball, men's and women's at-large and men's and women's track and field/cross country.
St. Thomas All-Time CoSIDA Academic All-Americas
(2020-21 awards yet to be announced in six more categories)
2020-21: Burt Hedstrom (men's basketball); Alex Balfour (women's soccer); Kate Heimer (women's soccer); Zach Bennett (football)
2019-20: Elijah Rice (football); Ellie Meyer (volleyball); Mariah Terhaar (women's track and field); Kierstin Anderson-Glass (softball); Elise Barnes (softball)
2018-19: McKenna Peplinski (women's soccer); Kierstin Anderson-Glass (softball); Kenzie Torpy (at-large/women's hockey); Parker Rosenau (men's track & field/CC)
2017-18: Isaac Seering (football)
2016-17: Nick Waldvogel (football), Ryan Winter (football), Emma Paulson (swimming & diving)
2015-16: David Simmet (football); Emma Paulson (swimming & diving); Emily Gapinski (CC/T&F); Dylan Baumann (CC/T&F); Jacob Gerhartz (CC/T&F)
2014-15: David Simmet (football); Kelly Foley (volleyball); Jill Greenfield (volleyball); Alex Kapraun (at-large/men's golf); Drew Fielding (at-large/men's hockey); Kendra Bowe (softball).
2013-14: Kelly Foley (volleyball); Alex Kapraun (men's golf); Emily Gregory (softball); Kirstin Bigelbach (softball); Erin Statz (Women's CC/track and field)
2012-13: Kimmy Hassel (softball); Eyo Ekpo (men's track and field)
2011-12: Dan Chapman (football); Fritz Waldvogel (football); Ashley Maher (volleyball); Eyo Ekpo (men's track and field)
2010-11: Dan Chapman (football); Ben Wartman (football);
2009-10: Ben Wartman (football); Elliot Amundson (men's soccer); Matt Schuld (baseball); Nikki Arola (women's track & field); Pat Jager (men's track & field); Marta Radcliffe (softball); Alison Wright (softball)
2008-09: Katie McCaffrey (volleyball); Matt Schuld (baseball); Nikki Arola (women's track & field); Phil Bastron (men's track & field); Katie Theisen (women's track & field); Alison Wright (softball)
2007-08: P.J. Theisen (football); Katie Theisen (women's track & field); Maria Bye (softball); P.J. Thiesen (men's track & field)
2006-07: Maria Bye (softball); Carrie Embree (softball); Riley Bosch (baseball)
2005-06: P.J. Thiesen (football); Ben Kessler (football); Andrew Ubbelohde (football); Nikki Conway (softball); Maria Bye (softball); Carrie Embree (softball); Molly Bauman (women's track & field); P.J. Theisen (men's track & field)
2004-05: Ben Kessler (football); Brigid Power (women's CC/track & field; Dave Linn (at-large/swimming & diving; Tut Fuller (at-large/men's tennis); Katie Glorvigen (at-large/women's golf)
2003-04: Dave Linn (at-large/swimming & diving); Kristi Huegel (softball)
2002-03: Tessie Thompson (women's soccer); Jake Barkley (football); Andrew Hilliard (football); Dave Linn (at-large/swimming & diving); Andrew Hilliard (men's track and field); Tom Carroll (baseball); Shannon Moore (softball)
2001-02: Andy Kaiser (football); Jake Barkley (football); Andrew Hilliard (football); Kristin Murray (at-large/women's swimming & diving); Andrew Hilliard (men's track & field); Jacob Kraus (at-large/men's tennis)
2000-01: Jake Barkley (football); Mychal Brendan (men's basketball); Andrew Hilliard (at-large/men's track & field)
1998-99: Greg Kaiser (at-large/men's track & field); Steve Aronson (at-large/men's hockey)
1997-98: Greg Kaiser (football); Tonia Call (softball)
1995-96: Curt Behrns (football)
1994-95: Curt Behrns (football); Johnny Tauer (men's basketball); Kelly Copps (at-large/women's CC, track & field)
1993-94: Curt Behrns (football)
1992-93: Penny Thompson (volleyball); Kari Bymers (at-large/women's tennis)
1991-92: Penny Thompson (volleyball)
1990-91: Michelle Auger (at-large/women's track & field)
1984-85: Laura Inderieden (at-large/women's track & field)
1982-83: Debbie Thometz (at-large/CC, women's track & field)
1980-81: Doug Groebner (football); Greg Hendricks (men's basketball)
1977-78: Tom Kelly (football); Terry Fleming (men's basketball)
1974-75: Mark Dienhart (football)
1973-74: Mark Dienhart (football)
1966-67: Dan Hansard (men's basketball)
