Gunderson Selected to Verizon Academic All-America Third Team

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point senior track and field athlete Craig Gunderson has been named to the Verizon Academic All-America third team, marking the fourth Pointer athlete to earn an Academic All-American honor this season.

Gunderson, a Waupaca native, carries a 3.74 grade point average in Elementary Education with a minor in Learning Disabilities. He placed fifth in the 400 meter dash at the NCAA Division III outdoor championships this season to earn All-American honors on the track as well.

The team includes all male track and field and cross country athletes from Division II, Division III and NAIA. Gunderson was one of three Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selections as UW-La Crosse�s Andy Basler was named to the first team and UW-Oshkosh�s Eamon McKenna was a second-team selection.

Gunderson is the 17th Academic All-American in UW-Stevens Point history and the second in less than a week as swimmer Jen Randall earned the honor in women�s at-large sports. Along with Randall, soccer player Jenny Bruce and basketball player Kari Groshek were selected to the second team in their respective sports earlier this season.

UW-Stevens Point now has 14 Academic All-Americans in the past three seasons. Gunderson is the second UW-Stevens Point men�s track and field athlete to earn the award as Dan Schwamberger was a first-team recipient in 2000.

Gunderson was the WIAC scholar athlete in men�s indoor track and field and also qualified for outdoor nationals this season in the 400 and 1600 meter relays. He was injured for most of this season, but recovered for his best race of the year at the national meet. Gunderson also placed fifth in the 400 meters at the 2001 Division III indoor championships and won the event at the 2001 WIAC indoor meet.

Read the entire list of 2002 Verizon men's track and field and cross country Academic All-Americans