Geisthardt Receives CoSIDA Academic All-America Honors

UW-Oshkosh junior punter Turner Geisthardt has earned first team honors on the 2017 College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) NCAA Division III Academic All-America Football Team.

Geisthardt, the lone WIAC player named to the 25-member First Team, owns a 3.93 cumulative grade point average as a kinesiology major. The two-time WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll member also volunteers with Feeding America, Be The Match and the Oshkosh Police Department.

Geisthardt becomes the 53rd UW-Oshkosh student-athlete to earn CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and the seventh from the school's football program. He is the first UW-Oshkosh football player to receive Academic All-America first team status since Ben Strehlow in 2012.

Geisthardt averaged 40.4 yards on his 37 punts this season, including a long of 55 yards and 13 inside the opponents' 20-yard line.

Geisthardt placed five of his six punts inside the 20-yard line in the Titans' 23-17 season-opening victory over John Carroll University (Ohio) on Sept. 2. The Oshkosh North High School graduate averaged 45.6 yards on his five punts during a 42-28 win over UW-La Crosse on Oct. 21. He also punted seven times for a 40.7-yard average, including a 55-yard boot, in UW-Oshkosh's 31-0 victory over UW-Stout on Nov. 11.

Geisthardt's career totals include 139 punts for a 39.6-yard average with a long of 62 yards and 38 kicks inside the 20-yard line. He has also scored 85 points on seven field goals and 62 extra points as the Titans' placekicker.

The 27-player Academic All-America Second Team included senior defensive back Blake Lehman from UW-Stevens Point.

Two punters from the 242 Division III football programs received recognition from CoSIDA, including Second Team selection Matthew Murray from Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Ind.).

Massachusetts Institute of Technology junior quarterback Udgam Goyal was named CoSIDA's NCAA Division III Football Academic All-America of the Year.

UW-Oshkosh's list of CoSIDA Academic All-America football players also includes Tom Schuessler in 1984 (Second Team); Rob Stoltz in 1996 (First Team); Ryan Hinske in 1997 (First Team); Craig Pierstorff in 1998 (Second Team) and 1999 (First Team); and Justin Schneider in 2002 (First Team).

Since the inception of the CoSIDA Academic All-America Program in 1952, 53 UW-Oshkosh student-athletes have combined to total 75 Academic All-America awards.

2017 CoSIDA NCAA Division III Academic All-America Football Team