ST. LOUIS – Twenty-eight student-athletes, including a league-best seven from South Dakota State University, were announced Thursday as recipients of the Missouri Valley Football Conference President’s Council Academic Excellence Award.
The league’s highest academic achievement, the President’s Council Academic Excellence Award requires a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade-point average through the 2017 fall semester and participation in athletics a minimum of two years. The student-athlete must be within 18 hours of graduation.
Receiving the award for the Jackrabbits were:
• Chris Balster, safety, Sheldon, Iowa
• Nick Farina, safety, Phoenix, Ariz.
• Caleb Lang, offensive lineman, Freeman
• Kane Louscher, fullback, Mason City, Iowa
• Jacob Menage, wide receiver, Springfield, Minn.
• Brady Mengarelli, running back, Prescott, Ariz.
• Jake Wieneke, wide receiver, Maple Grove, Minn.
SDSU also led the 10-team league with 32 student-athletes being honored with the Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award and 76 MVFC Honor Roll awardees. The Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award requires a minimum 3.2 GPA for the previous two semesters - freshmen are not eligible.
To qualify for the Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have recorded a minimum 3.0 GPA during the 2017 fall term and must have a minimum of 12 hours of enrollment for the fall. Nearly 500 student-athletes league-wide earned Honor Roll recognition.
SDSU has led the MVFC in the number of Honor Roll selections in seven of the 10 years it has been a member of the league.
2017 MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE ACADEMIC AWARDS
PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL ACADEMIC AWARD: Chris Balster, Nick Farina, Caleb Lang, Kane Louscher, Jacob Menage, Brady Mengarelli, Jake Wieneke.
COMMISSIONER’S ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD: Logan Backhaus, Chris Balster, Jarek Berg, Turner Blasius, Taryn Christion, Dalton Cox, Alec Cromer, Mikey Daniel, Mike Dobrenski, Ryan Earith, Lance Eide, Nick Farina, Wes Genant, Evan Greeneway, Brady Hale, Jake Harms, Kallan Hart, Spencer Hildahl, Thomas Hopp, Chase Kern, Caleb Lang, Mason Leiseth, Tristen Leiseth, Kane Louscher, Jacob Menage, Pete Menage, Brady Mengarelli, Andy Moritko, Preston Tetzlaff, Jake Wieneke, Dylan Winegar, Bobby Zavagno.
HONOR ROLL: Jake Aanderud, Logan Backhaus, Chris Balster, Jarek Berg, Turner Blasius, Austin Boen, Jordan Brown, Deyon Campbell, Taryn Christion, Colton Cook, Dalton Cox, Alec Cromer, Mikey Daniel, Mike Dobrenski, Jack Domandle, Ryan Earith, Lance Eide, Wyatt Ewing, Nick Farina, Wes Genant, Dallas Goedert, Evan Greeneway, Jon Gruetzmacher, Brady Hale, Charlie Harmon, Jake Harms, Marshon Harris, Kallan Hart, Spencer Hildahl, Isaiah Hill, Thomas Hopp, Aron Johnson, Chase Kern, Krockett Krolikowski, Caleb Lang, Mason Leiseth, Tristen Leiseth, Marquise Lewis, Malik Lofton, Austin Lohsandt, Kane Louscher, Monte McGary, Jacob Menage, Pete Menage, Brady Mengarelli, Edward Miller, Andy Moritko, Andrew Mueller, Blair Mulholland, Jacob Ohnesorge, Keenan Orr, Justin Roberts, Alex Romenesko, Christian Rozeboom, Caleb Schauf, Grant Schmidt, Bradey Sorenson, Kellen Soulek, Sam Steckman, Preston Tetzlaff, Jason Titus, Chase Vinatieri, Isaac Wallace, Xavier Ward, Tyler Weir, Alex Wickersham, Jake Wieneke, Alex Wilde, Larenzo Williams, Elijah Wilson, Seven Wilson, Dylan Winegar, Reece Winkelman, Jake Wolfe, Jessup Workman, Bobby Zavagno.
