Laurent Selected to Academic All-District Team

For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 21, 2009

La Crosse, Wis. – University of Wisconsin-La Crosse junior wrestler Dan Laurent of Mishicot (H.S.) has been named to the 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V College Division Men’s At-Large First Team. He is now eligible for the Academic All-America Team, which will be announced in June.

The academic all-district at-large team is comprised of all NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA student-athletes from Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana and Minnesota and is voted on by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Eligible sports are fencing, golf, gymnastics, ice hockey, lacrosse, rifle, skiing, swimming, tennis, volleyball, water polo and wrestling.

Laurent, a biochemistry major and biology minor with a 3.92 grade point average, earned his second straight NCAA Division III championship at 285-pounds in 2009. He went 4-0 at the national meet, defeating Mark Corsello of Elmhurst College (Ill.) by decision (6-3) in the title match. Laurent was also a national qualifier in 2007. He became the third wrestler in school history to win back-to-back championships joining Josh Chelf (174-pound titles in 2007, 2008) and Ryan Allen (285-pound titles in 2004, 2005, 2006). Chelf, Allen and Laurent are the only wrestlers in UW-L history to win multiple national championships.

Finishing 39-5 overall in 2008-09, Laurent won 15 matches by fall. He captured his third straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) 285-pound title in 2009 and took the 285-pound division at the Pete Willson Wheaton Invitational and Pointer Open.

Named to the 2009 National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) Scholar-Team, Laurent has compiled a three-year record of 91-24 at UW-L. He ranks 16th in school history in victories.

Laurent helped lead the Eagles to a third-place finish at the 2009 NCAA III Championships and their 12th consecutive conference crown.