RELEASED:  Tuesday, June 8, 2010

UW-La Crosse’s Laurent Named Academic All-America of the Year; UW-River Falls’ Storozuk Earns Second Team Honors

MADISON, Wis.--University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s Dan Laurent has been selected the 2010 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® of the Year for the College Division Men's At-Large Team.   UW-River Falls’ Bo Storozuk was named to the second team.

The team is made up of NCAA Division II and III schools, along with NAIA schools, Canadian Interuniversity Sport and two-year institutions.  It includes the sports of fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, tennis and water polo.

A senior wrestler from Mishicot, Wis., Laurent was named to the CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America First Team for the second straight year.  He boasts a 3.94 grade point average, while double-majoring in biochemistry and cellular and molecular biology.

He is the second individual from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) to be named Academic All-America® of the Year during the 2009-10 academic year.  UW-Stout’s Julia Hirssig claimed the honor in women’s basketball.

Laurent was voted the 2010 WIAC Wrestler of the Year by the league coaches.  He earned his third consecutive NCAA Division III crown at 285 pounds with a 2-0 victory over John Helgerson of Wartburg College (Iowa).  Laurent became the third wrestler in school history to win multiple national championships and the second to win three titles.

A four-time WIAC champion at 285 pounds, Laurent compiled a 33-3 record during the 2010 campaign.  He became the fourth wrestler in conference history to secure four consecutive 285-pound crowns.  Laurent also won titles at the Pointer Open and Auggie Open in 2009-10, as well as recording a second-place finish at the Pete Willson Wheaton (Ill.) Invitational.

In his career, he amassed a 124-27 mark, including 50 wins by fall.  The 124 victories rank seventh on the school’s all-time chart.  Laurent went 12-2 in four national tournament appearances.

Laurent was selected the 2010 WIAC Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete in wrestling. He was named to the 2008, 2009 and 2010 National Wrestling Coaches Association Scholar All-America Team.

A two-year team captain at UW-La Crosse, Laurent was named the 2008 UW-La Crosse Biochemistry Student of the Year.

A senior hockey player from Swan River, Manitoba, Storozuk owns a 3.95 grade point average and is majoring in business administration with a minor in environmental science. 

UW-River Falls has had three men’s ice hockey players combine to claim four Academic All-America trophies.  Rob Novak was a second team selection in 2004, while Derek Hansberry secured third team laurels in 2007 and 2009.