Junior defender/midfielder Kyle Buchwalder, a biochemistry major who led Colorado College in minutes played this fall, has been named a CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-American for the 2011 season.

Buchwalder is one of 33 NCAA Division III men's soccer players nationwide to earn the honor. He was among 13 voted to the second team by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America. Eleven received first-team and nine more second-team recognition. 

Owner of a team-best 3.92 cumulative grade-point average, Buchwalder anchored a Tigers defense which ranked third in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference with a 1.10 goals-against average and six shutouts during the 2011 regular season. The Tigers, who were third in the league standings with a 6-3 record, dropped a 2-1 decision to Southwestern University in the quarterfinals of the SCAC playoffs to finish with an overall mark of 11-5-3.

"That's fantastic," Horst Richardson, who recently completed his 46th year as head coach at CC, said of Buchwaler's latest achievement. "There's no one more deserving. In addition to being an excellent student, Kyle is the most stellar holding midfielder we have, just a wonderful performer on the field. He's a great defender with attacking capabilities. I'm absolutely delighted that he's been selected for this terrific student-athlete honor."  

Buchwalder, who earlier was named to the Academic All-District first team, is the program's first Academic All-American since Jimmer Comerford (2nd Team) and Logan Boccard (3rd Team) earned the distiction in 2008. He also was tabbed SCAC Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 17 after the Tigers allowed a combined one goal and seven shots on frame during victories over Austin College and the University of Dallas. He earlier scored  in a 3-2 overtime triumph at Nebraska Wesleyan in late September.