College Sports Information Directors of America

TOWSON, Md. – Junior quarterback Jake Snodgrass of McPherson College (Kan.) headlines the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).

A biochemistry major with a 4.00 G.P.A., Snodgrass has been chosen as the winner of the College Division Academic All-America® of the Year award for the football team.

The College Division Academic All-America® football team is comprised of student-athletes from NAIA, Canadian and two-year institutions.

The 24 members of the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football first team have a 3.76 average grade point average (G.P.A).

Six members of the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football first team represent teams that qualified for the NAIA Football Championship Series, including three from Saint Xavier University. Saint Xavier will be making its first appearance in the NAIA National Championship Game in Rome, Ga. on Saturday, Dec. 17. Saint Xavier will face Carroll of Montana.

Nebraska Wesleyan led all schools with four first team selections while Central Methodist and McPherson joined Saint Xavier with three first team honorees. In addition, Central Methodist had four players chosen to the second team while Nebraska Wesleyan had three second team selections.

Snodgrass completed 170-of-305 passes for 2,094 yards and 19 touchdowns for McPherson. He ranked 19th in the NAIA in total offense with 2,427 yards. A native of Derby, Kan., Snodgrass threw for three touchdowns in a game four times and passed for a season-high 301 yards against the University of Saint Mary.

One of Snodgrass’ targets, McPherson senior wide receiver Andy Skinner, was also named to the first team. Saint Xavier’s Shane Zackery was also named as a first team wide receiver. A biochemistry major with a 3.86 GPA, Skinner hauled in 43 passes for 602 yards and scored seven touchdowns. A junior business administration major with a 3.64 G.P.A., Zackery has 86 catches for 1,130 yards and 17 touchdowns for the Cougars. A native of Rockford, Ill., he ranks third in the NAIA in both total catches and receiving yards and fifth in total scoring (102 points).

A senior physics major with a 3.86 G.P.A., Matt Orvis of Taylor University is the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division first team tight end. A senior from Kailua Kona, Hawaii, Orvis had 21 receptions for 193 yards and three touchdowns.

Derek Atwood of University of St. Francis (Ind.) and Caleb Haynes of Central Methodist University are the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division first team running backs. Atwood helped St. Francis reach the quarterfinal round of the NAIA Football Championship Series by rushing for 134 yards on 35 carries. A senior from Shelbyville, Ind., he is a political science and pre-law double major with a 3.81 G.P.A. A physical education major with a 3.71 G.P.A., Haynes scored eight touchdowns for Central Methodist. A native of Higginsville, Mo., he ran the ball 110 times for 443 yards.

Making up the offensive line are senior Garek Bebee of Nebraska Wesleyan University, senior Sam Greene of Cumberland (Tenn.) University, senior Nicholas Hauge of Saint Ambrose University, senior David Kraft of McPherson and junior Nathan Nieuwendorp of Northwestern (Iowa) University.

A physics major with a 3.69 G.P.A., Bebee is a native of Wakefield, Neb. who led the Prairie Wolves to a 5-5 record. A biology major with a 3.64 G.P.A., Greene was a four-year starter at right tackle for Cumberland. A four-year starter at left guard for Saint Ambrose, Hauge is an exercise science major with a 3.54 G.P.A. who led Saint Ambrose to a 7-3 record.

A three-time all-conference selection, Kraft is an exercise science major with a 3.66 G.P.A. A native of Peck, Kan., he was a four-year starter for McPherson who played center and guard in his career. An actuarial science major with a 3.82 G.P.A., Nieuwendorp has been a three-year starter for Northwestern (Iowa). An Orange City, Iowa native, he helped the Red Raiders post a 9-2 record.

Junior place kicker Steven Anderson of Nebraska Wesleyan rounds out the offense on the College Division first team. An exercise science major with a 3.33 G.P.A., he scored 58 points this season. While connecting on 28-of-31 conversions, he went 10-for-13 on field goal attempts.

On defense, senior Derek Bosia of Menlo College, senior Jacob Heppner of Central Methodist, junior Cody McCallister of Cumberland (Tenn.) and senior Shea Struiksma of Azusa Pacific University made the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football Team as defensive backs.

A management major carrying a 3.80 GPA, Bosia recorded 38 total tackles, including 28 solos, for Menlo. He also broke up two passes. A mathematics major with a 4.00 G.P.A., Heppner played in eight games for Central Methodist, recording 13 total tackles. McCallister, a health and human performance major with a 3.84 G.P.A. at Cumberland, intercepted three passes and broke up four others this season. He also recorded 35 tackles for the Bulldogs. Struiksma helped Azusa Pacific advance to the NAIA Football Championship series with 46 total tackles, two interceptions and five pass deflections. A finance major, the Artesia, Cal., native has a 3.77 G.P.A.

Tyler Belt of Central Methodist is the lone graduate student to make the first team as he leads the linebacking corps. Joining Belt as linebackers on the first team are seniors Dalton Ryba of Doane College and Garrett Wheeler of Taylor. A graduate student who had a double major in athletic training and pre-physical therapy, Belt registered 41 total tackles, two quarterback sacks and one interception for Central Methodist. A biochemistry major with a 3.69 G.P.A., Ryba ranked among the NAIA leaders in forced fumbles while making 76 total tackles and three sacks for Doane. Wheeler, a communications studies major with a 3.69 G.P.A., had 88 total tackles and broke up one pass in 10 games for Taylor.

National finalist Saint Xavier is represented by two defensive linemen on the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football first team. Saint Xavier seniors Patrick Appino and Michael Prosser have helped the Cougars post a 13-1 record and reach the national championship. Senior Matt Muschall of Morningside College and junior Russell Walton (Nebraska Wesleyan) join Appino and Prosser on the defensive line.

A mathematics major with a minor in secondary education, Appino has made 40 tackles for the Cougars. He has also made 15 tackles for lost yardage and had seven sacks. A native of Rockford, Ill., Appino also broke up three passes and recovered three fumbles en route to All-Mid-States Football Association first team honors. Another All-MSFA first team pick, Prosser leads the Cougars with 90 tackles and ten sacks. A business major with a 3.76 G.P.A., the Rockton, Ill. native ranks among the NAIA leaders with 21.5 tackles for lost yardage.

Muschall, who has a double major of English and physics and applied comprehensive science and a 3.81 G.P.A., helped Morningside qualify for the NAIA postseason as he recorded 19 total tackles and two sacks for the Great Plains Athletic Conference champions. A native of Omaha, Neb., Muschall was named second team All-GPAC and led the Mustangs to a 9-2 record. A business administration major with a 3.86 G.P.A., Walton made 71 total tackles, six sacks and intercepted a pass for Nebraska Wesleyan.

Sophomore punter Kelby Vandenberg of Nebraska Wesleyan rounds out the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football first team. A business administration and economics double major with a 3.79 G.P.A., Vandenberg averaged 38.7 yards per punt. He punted 77 times for 2,979 yards. In three games, he punted 11 times or more, including a season-high 12 punts against Concordia (Neb.) University. A native of David City, Neb., he launched a season-long punt of 76 yards against Hastings College.

Senior wide receiver Bradley Carter, senior offensive lineman Kyle Gibson, junior offensive lineman Cody Davis and senior defensive lineman Ryan Adams represent Central Methodist on the 2011 Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football second team. Nebraska Wesleyan senior tight end Matt Edwards, junior defensive back Cody Eller and junior linebacker Brett Kaczor give Nebraska Wesleyan three selections on the College Division second team.

About the Capital One Academic All-America® program

To be eligible for Capital One 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, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director.

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.

For more information about the Academic All-America® Teams program, please visit http://cosida.com/Awards/allamerica.aspx.


FOR MORE INFORMATION on the Capital One Academic All-America® College Division Football Teams, please contact:
 
Dan O’Connell
Towson University
Academic All-America ® Vice-Chair for Publicity/Communications
doconnell@towson.edu
(410) 704-3102

Jay Stancil
Union College (Ky.)
Academic All-America® College Division Publicity
jstancil@unionky.edu
(606) 546-1292


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