GREENWOOD, Ind. -- With success both on the field and in the classroom, four Viking football players continue to personify what it means to be a champion at Augustana University.

Seniors Kirby Hora, Joey Newman, and Avram Tynes, along with junior Jordan Cardenas have been named to the Google Cloud Academic All-District®  first team. The Google Cloud Academic All-District® Football Team is selected by CoSIDA, and recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. 

CoSIDA, the College Sports Information Directors of America, is a 3,000+ member national organization comprised of the sports public relations, media relations and communications professionals throughout all levels of collegiate athletics in the United States and Canada.

A two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American selection, Kirby Hora has now been recognized for his academic performance in all three years of his eligibility. Hora is a 4.00 (GPA) student and a Biology major at Augustana. A two-time All-NSIC academic selection, Hora is also the chair president of both the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at Augustana. On the field, Hora finished his career with 410 tackles (2nd in program history) and a four-time All-NSIC selection. 

Joey Newman earned his second consecutive Google Cloud Academic All-District honor, and in 2017, was named an Academic All-American. Newman, a senior from Crooks, S.D., is an Athletic Training major holding a 3.83 GPA. On the turf, Newman recently earned NSIC South Division All-Conference 1st team honors, finishing the year with 38 tackles, and 16 tackles for a loss, ranking 4th in the NSIC.

A two-time All-NSIC Academic selection, Tynes has earned a 3.78 GPA while majoring in Exercise Science at Augustana. The senior from Omaha is also impressive on the field, recently being named to the NSIC South Division All-Conference 2nd team. Tynes started and played in all 11 games this year, finishing the season with 50 tackles, 10 pass breakups, two blocked kicks, and one punt return touchdown.

Only a Junior, Jordan Cardenas earns his first honor as a First Team Google Cloud Academic All-District selection. Cardenas is a Government studies major and finished the fall semester with a remarkable 3.95 GPA. The Lakeville, Minnesota native played in all 11 games this season, making numerous contribution both defensively and on special teams. 

To garner a nomination, a student-athlete must be a starter or important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her current institution. Nominated athletes must participate in at least 50 percent of the team's games at the position listed on the nomination form (where applicable), and no student-athlete can be eligible until he/she completes one full calendar year at his/her current institution and reaches sophomore athletic eligibility.

All four honorees now advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America® Team ballot, with first and second team Academic All-America honorees announced in December.