Damaschke named CUW Co-Male Athlete of the Year

MEQUON, Wis. – Austin Damaschke spent much of the 2013 football season breaking school and conference records, throwing and rushing for touchdowns and leading the Concordia University Wisconsin Football team to win after win. For his efforts on the gridiron, Damaschke has been named the Co-Male Athlete of the Year for the 2013-14 athletics season by the CUW Athletic Department.

The CUW Athletic Department has also recently announced the Female Athlete of the Year, as well as the Career Achievement Awards as a part of its 2013-14 postseason awards. The other Male Athlete of the Year will be announced tomorrow, June 5. Head coaches were allowed to nominate one student-athlete in their sport for the Athlete of the Year honors, which were then voted on by a committee.

Damaschke earned his Athlete of the Year honors after setting several different CUW and Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference records this season. The junior gunslinger holds three conference records, including total offensive yards, where his 8,297 yards is over 1,000 more than the next closest player. He is the conference's career leader in pass completions (583) and pass attempts (945). He also moved into second place in passing yards, just 341 behind the career leader, and passing touchdowns, just four back.

Damaschke set several CUW career records throughout the 2013 season, including pass completions and total offensive yards. He also is the Falcons career leader in completion percentage at 61.2 percent and is tied for the CUW passing touchdowns mark at 65.

In 2013, Damaschke completed a CUW-record 250 passes for a school-record 3,171 yards. He gained 3,844 yards, which was yet another school record. He also attempted a school-record 398 passes. The junior set two Falcons game records in 2013 when he threw for 425 yards and gained 536 total yards in a Cheese Bowl victory against Lakeland College.

Damaschke was a nightmare for NACC defenses last fall and was named the league's Offensive Player of the Year for his performances. In six conference games he threw for 2,021 yards, tossing 13 touchdowns and throwing just one interception. He added team-best 457 yards on the ground and scored 10 rushing touchdowns.

His numbers were also strong nationally, as Damaschke ranked in the top-20 in three categories. He was 13th in both passing yards (3,171) and passing yards per game (288.3), while ranking 17th in completions per game with 22.73. He threw the 24th most touchdowns (24) and was the 44th most accurate passers (62.8 percent) in all of NCAA Division III.

Being named the NACC Offensive Player of the Year and NACC Offensive Player of the Week three times weren't the only awards Damaschke gained in 2013. In addition to that award, he was named the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Private College Player of the Year for the second-consecutive year. He became the conference's first Gagliardi Trophy Finalist, an award given to the nation's most outstanding player. Ten players are selected as finalists for the award.

Damaschke and the Falcons finished 8-3, including a perfect 6-0 in the NACC in 2013. They advanced to the NCAA Tournament before falling to UW-Platteville. With Damaschke back in the fold in 2014, the expectations are once again high for CUW, as its quarterback looks to continue to rewrite the record book.

2013-14 CUW Athletic Department Award Recipients

Male Career Achievement Award (announced May 23): Russell Johnson, Men's Tennis and Men's Hockey
Female Career Achievement Award (announced May 23): Katie Luethe, Women's Basketball
Female Athlete of the Year Award (announced June 3): Sammi Reiter, Women's Lacrosse and Women's Hockey
Co-Male Athlete of the Year Award (announced June 4): Austin Damaschke, Football
Co-Male Athlete of the Year Award: TBA June 5