CoSIDA Honors Six in Ceremony Hosted at Annual Convention in St. Louis
LYNCHBURG, VA – Lynchburg College women's soccer head coach Dr. Todd Olsen was inducted this week into The Capital One CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors Association) Academic All-America Hall of Fame.
Olsen took part in Monday evening's induction ceremony during the CoSIDA Convention in St. Louis along with four others, including former Harvard University basketball standout and current United States Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Alvan Adams, John Naber and Ruth Riley were the other inductees in 2012. Each inductee had a short question and answer session, hosted by ESPN's Rece Davis, in lieu of an acceptance speech.
Past inductees include Steve Young, John Stockton, Bill Bradley, Julie Foudy, Joe Theismann and Bill Walton. Plaques for each honoree of The Capital One Academic All-America Hall of Fame will be on permanent display at the NCAA Hall of Champions in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Hall of Fame honors former Academic All-American student-athletes who have achieved lifetime success in their professional careers and are committed to philanthropic causes.
"I am very humbled and honored to be inducted into the CoSIDA Academic All-America Hall of Fame," said Olsen. "As I reflect on the past recipients of this honor and the class of 2012, it is extraordinary privilege to be considered in the same company as these amazingly accomplished individuals. This honor challenges me to work even harder to earn my seat at this prestigious table."
At Slippery Rock University, Olsen was team captain and a four-year letter-winner for the Rockets men's soccer team. He graduated magna cum laude with a 4.0 GPA in Health and Physical Education along with being an Academic All-American for his junior and senior seasons. After his success at Slippery Rock, he earned his doctorate in epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh.
As head mentor of Lynchburg for the past 18 seasons, Olsen has taken the Hornets to great heights while compiling a 294-79-38 overall record. In 2009, LC made it to the NCAA Division III national semi-finals after advancing to the quarterfinals on three separate occasions and the round of 16 four times. Developing strong student-athletes along the way, the Lynchburg women's soccer squad boasts nine All-Americans and three Academic All-Americans. He is also an Associate Professor of Health and Human Performance at Lynchburg College.
Olsen's unrivaled dedication to community service and helping others across the world has truly separated him from the pack. He is actively involved in study abroad and service trips both globally and in the Lynchburg community. Along with taking the LC women's soccer team to Argentina, Costa Rica and Africa, he has partnered with the Sports Outreach Institute and serves in a volunteer role as the Community Public Health Epidemiologist. He has travelled on several occasions to Africa where he has developed and implemented community health workshops and programs on community public health issues in Kenya and Uganda.
His efforts have led to coverage locally and nationally, including a feature by the NCAA.
"I thank Slippery Rock University for providing wonderful leadership and mentoring while I was an undergraduate student-athlete," remarked Olsen. "I also thank Lynchburg College for providing an opportunity for me to follow my passions as a member of the faculty and as the women's soccer coach along with their unwavering support of my various endeavors."
--- This release is courtesy of the Lynchburg College sports information department. ---
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