GREENWOOD, Ind. -- College Sports Communicators bestowed Academic All-District honors on eight Montana Tech football standouts, CSC announced Tuesday.
Graduate student
Derek Pearse; seniors
Tel Arthur,
Daymon Burns, and
Levi Torgerson; junior
Casey Kautzman; and sophomores
Kellan Beller,
Luke Donally, and
Jarrett Wilson all made the grade.
Student-athletes must have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.5, must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, and must have participated in at least 90 percent of their team's games during the current season.
Arthur, a linebacker from Missoula, led Montana Tech and ranked seventh in the NAIA with 105 tackles on his way to the Frontier East defensive player of the year award and a second-team All-America nod. The business major carries a 3.62 GPA.
Beller, a linebacker from Stevensville, made 34 tackles and two interceptions on his way to honorable mention all-conference accolades. A mechanical engineering major, Beller holds a 3.98 GPA.
Burns, a defensive back from Covina, Calif., racked up 31 tackles and four interceptions in his first season with the program. The Henderson State transfer carries a 3.74 GPA in his mechanical engineering studies.
Donally, a defensive lineman from Worden, was a force on special teams and defense for the Orediggers, totaling eight tackles and a sack. The mechanical engineering major holds a 3.82 GPA.
Kautzman, a kicker/punter from Butte, earned first-team all-conference kicker honors and was selected second team as a punter in his first season with the program. He was 10-for-12 on field goals for the season and punted 39 times for an average of 39.3 yards. A civil engineering major, Kautzman sports a 3.67 GPA.
Pearse, a tight end from Post Falls, Idaho, caught a career-high 27 passes for 345 yards in his final collegiate season, scoring four touchdowns on his way to first-team all-conference honors. He holds a perfect 4.0 GPA in his general engineering master's degree studies and graduated last year with a degree in mechanical engineering, carrying a 3.91 GPA. Last season, Pearse became one of the first three Oredigger football players ever to be named Academic All-America.
Torgerson, a receiver/return specialist from Great Falls, had one of the most productive seasons in Montana Tech football history on his way to consensus All-America honors and the Frontier East player of the year award. He set 10 receiving and returning records on the season and led the NAIA in receptions (103) and receiving yards (1,370). He sports a 3.58 GPA in his exercise and health science coursework.
Wilson, a quarterback from Polson, was the Frontier East's offensive player of the year in his first season as a starter. The left-hander threw for 2,845 yards and 30 touchdowns with just two interceptions and rushed for 537 yards and six more TDs. Wilson has earned a 4.0 GPA in the electrical engineering program.
The octet let Montana Tech to one of the most successful seasons in program history, which included a Frontier Conference East Division title and program-record 12 victories. The Orediggers reached the quarterfinal round of the NAIA Football Championship Series, finishing with a 12-1 record, and were ranked No. 5 in the NAIA's postseason top 25 poll.
A College Sports Communicators committee reviews the nominations for Academic All-District student-athletes to determine which will be moved onto the Academic All-America ballot. Six Orediggers — Arthur, Beller, Kautzman, Pearse, Torgerson, and Wilson — earned spots on the ballot.
The Academic All-District football teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. Started in 1952, the CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA. The NAIA CSC Academic All-America program is partially financially supported through the NAIA governance structure.
CSC's Academic All-America honorees will be announced January 27.
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