Muhlenberg College Athletics

To place in the decathlon at the Centennial Conference Championships, Michael Baer needed to master several disciplines. He also needed to do that to earn Academic All-America honors.

Baer was selected to the Capital One NCAA Division III Academic All-America Men’s Track/Cross Country first team, as chosen by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

Baer, who graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a biochemistry major and as one of the valedictorians of the Class of 2012 last month, won Centennial Conference gold medals with 4x400 indoor relay teams in both 2011 and 2012. He placed in top five in the decathlon at the CC Outdoor Championships three straight years, with a high of fourth in 2011, and also placed in CC meets in the high jump and high hurdles.

On the Mules’ all-time performance lists, Baer ranks third in the decathlon and eighth in the 55 hurdles. He will attend medical school at the University of Pennsylvania this fall.

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00 and have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his current institution.

Since the program’s inception in 1952, CoSIDA has bestowed Academic All-America honors on more than 14,000 student-athletes in Divisions I, II, III and NAIA, covering all NCAA championship sports.

Muhlenberg has had nine Academic All-America selections over the last two years, including four different first-teamers.