CLEVELAND – South Dakota State’s Dalton Cox and Taryn Christion were among the 47 student-athletes named Friday to the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association’s 21st Annual Academic All-Star Team.
A senior linebacker from Aberdeen, Cox earned a spot on the honor squad with a perfect 4.0 GPA as an entrepreneurial studies and economics major. A two-year starter, he also served as a team captain in 2018 and ranked second on the Jackrabbits with 68 tackles.
Christion, a senior quarterback from Sioux Falls, posted a 3.61 GPA while majoring in business economics. A Campbell Trophy finalist as the top scholar-athlete in all of college football, he rewrote the SDSU and Missouri Valley Football Conference record books during a standout career, including finishing as the all-time leader in passing yards (11,535), total offense (13,050 yards) and passing touchdowns (104).
Christion also was named one of seven finalists for an FCS ADA $5,000 Postgraduate Scholarship. Two student-athletes will receive postgraduate scholarships during the association’s annual membership meeting held in conjunction with the 2019 NACDA Convention in Orlando, Fla., June 10-12.
Of the 47 honorees, eight were from Patriot League members, followed by seven each from the Missouri Valley Football Conference and Colonial Athletic Association. Each nominee was required to have a minimum GPA of 3.20 in undergraduate study, must have reached at least their second year of athletics and academic standing, and have been a starter or key player. Institutions were limited to two nominees.
SDSU has had at least one student-athlete honored on the FCS ADA Academic All-Star Team each of the last 13 seasons. Cory Koenig (2007), Ryan Berry (2008) and Zach Zenner (2014) were also honored as FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship recipients.
PREVIOUS FCS ADA ACADEMIC
ALL-STAR TEAM SELECTIONS
2006: Parker Douglas, Cory Koenig
2007: Parker Douglas, Cory Koenig
2008: Ryan Berry, Kevin Robling
2009: Conrad Kjerstad
2010: Tyler Duffy, Kyle Minett
2011: Brad Iverson
2012: Seth Daughters, Zach Zenner
2013: Brandon Hubert, Zach Zenner
2014: Jason Schneider, Zach Zenner
2015: Nick Mears
2016: Nick Mears, Jake Wieneke
2017: Jake Wieneke
2018: Taryn Christion, Dalton Cox
