Augustana football player
Jason Donnelly highlighted a group of five Viking student-athletes who were named to the 2008
ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America® College Division Football, Volleyball and Women's Soccer Teams, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Also recognized were fellow football players
Drew Anderson and
Jesse Jones, volleyball player
Ellen Andrews and women's soccer player
Mikhaila Baltes.
Donnelly, a senior from Elk Point, S.D., was named to the Academic All-America Football First Team, as well as the Academic All-District VII First Team. Anderson, a senior from Littleton, Colo., was also an academic all-district first team selection while Jones, a junior from St. Michael, Minn., was an academic all-district second team honoree.
Andrews, a junior from Bancroft, Neb., was named to the Academic All-District VII Volleyball First Team, while Baltes, a sophomore from Woodbury, Minn., earned a spot on the Academic All-District VII Soccer Second Team.
Donnelly, a senior defensive back from Elk Point, S.D., has a 3.95 cumulative grade point average as an elementary education major. This season Donnelly recorded 39 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss. In addition, he led the Vikings with 4 interceptions and 8 pass breakups. He also recovered 1 fumble and blocked 1 kick as he earned a spot on the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference South Division Second Team.
Donnelly's selection to the Academic All-America team is the 42nd time that has happened in school history. He is Augie's first Academic All-American since women's basketball player Alison Adamson earned first team honors in the 2006-07 season. He is the 10th Viking football player to earn Academic All-America honors and the first since Thanye Munce was named to the first team in 1997.
Anderson is a senior offensive lineman from Littleton, Colo. A mathematics major, Anderson has a 3.85 cumulative GPA. This season he started all 11 games and played a key role in helping the Vikings have one of the top offenses in the NSIC. In conference play, Augustana ranked third in rushing offense at 204.7 yards per game. The Vikings were also fifth in the league in scoring offense at 31.8 points per contest.
Jones a junior defensive lineman from St. Michael, Minn., started all 11 games this season. An accounting major with a 3.74 GPA, Jones collected 25 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 of which were quarterback sacks. He also had a pass break up and a forced fumble.
Andrews, a junior right side hitter from Bancroft, Neb. boasts a 3.96 GPA as an exercise science major. Andrews had a team-best .312 attack percentage this year while ranking third on the squad in kills with 338 (2.82 kills per set). She also tied for the team lead with 77 total blocks. Andrews garnered All-NSIC Second Team honors in 2008 as well as Daktronics All-Central Region Second Team honors.
Baltes is a sophomore goalkeeper from Woodbury, Minn. She has a 3.83 GPA as a business administration major. She has played 589:47 minutes in goal this season, allowing only three goals and recording 53 saves. She compiled a 3-1-1 record this season with a 0.46 goals against average and two shutouts.
The College Division includes schools from NCAA Division II and Division III as well as NAIA and two-year schools. District VII consists of schools in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
