AUSTIN, Texas – Augustana senior linebacker Kirby Hora has been named the Google Cloud Academic All-America® of the Year for Division II Football. As the academic Player of the Year, Hora headlines the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division II football team. This is Hora's 1st All-America of the Year honor, and his third All-America selection overall. A senior from Sioux Falls, Hora was a 1st team selection last season and a 2nd team member during his 2016 sophomore campaign.

A second team Academic All-America selection last year, Avram Tynes earns his way onto the first team with a 3.78 GPA in Exercise Science. The senior from Omaha played in all 11 games this year, finishing the season with 50 tackles, 10 pass breakups, two blocked kicks, and one punt return touchdown.

Joey Newman earns his second consecutive Google Cloud Academic All-America honor and his third overall. Newman, a senior from Crooks, S.D., is an Athletic Training major holding a 3.83 GPA. On the turf, Newman was a 1st team All-NSIC pick and finished the year with 38 tackles and 16 tackles for a loss, which ranked 4th in the NSIC.

Hora becomes one of two student-athletes in the nation (DII) to earn three consecutive All-America honors with a perfect 4.0 GPA. A Biology major, Hora is also involved on campus as the chair president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA). Hora will graduate in December and look to enroll in medical school in the spring of 2019.

On the field, the middle linebacker had another stout season for Augustana. The leader of the league's 6th best statistical defense, Hora finished the season with 97 tackles (54 solo) ranking 5th in the league. Hora added in 10 tackles for a loss and three sacks while starting and playing in all 11 games. Hora was also credited with a league-best three forced fumbles and picked off one pass.

Hora ends his career with 411 career tackles, ranking 2nd all-time in Augustana program history. A four-time All-NSIC selection, Hora's career total of five forced fumbles sits tied for 1st in Augustana history.

 The 26 Google Cloud Academic All-America® Division II football first team members hold a composite 3.88 GPA. Five first team honorees hold a perfect 4.00 cumulative GPA. 

Hora will now compete against 11 other student-athletes across the nation in 11 different sports for the overall Academic All-American for Division II athletics.

Selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, the Academic All-America teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2018-19 Division II Academic All-America® teams program.

All-Time Augustana Football CoSIDA Academic All-Americans

1972   Pat McNerney, 1st
1973   Pat McNerney, 1st
1974   Jim Clemens, 1st
1975   Jim Clemens, 1st
           Roger Goebel, 2nd
1977   Stan Biondi, 1st
           DeeJay Donlin, 2nd
           Roger Goebel, 2nd
1978   Bob Timmons, 2nd
1980   Bill Dannehl, 1st
1986   David Gubbrud, 1st
1987   David Gubbrud, 1st
1988   David Gubbrud, 1st
1989   David Gubbrud, 1st
1996   Mitch Pruett, 1st
1997   Thayne Munce, 1st
2008   Jason Donnelly, 1st
2010   Dan Schoen, 2nd
2016   Bryson Hamilton, 2nd
           Kirby Hora, 2nd
2017   Kirby Hora, 1st
          Joey Newman, 2nd
          Avram Tynes, 2nd
2018   Kirby Hora, 1st*
           Joey Newman, 1st
           Avram Tynes, 1st

*Academic All-America® of the Year for Division II Football