A total of 23 student-athletes in the Missouri Valley Football Conference have been named to CoSIDA ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District Teams, as announced by CoSIDA on Thursday (Nov. 5).  Seventeen of the 23 are on first-team all-district units and are now eligible for Academic All-America honors.

Four South Dakota State University football players, including repeat selections Kyle Minett and Conrad Kjerstad, have been selected to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII First Team. Joining Minett and Kjerstad on the first team were senior offensive lineman Casey Knips and junior punter Dean Priddy. SDSU's four first-team selections were the most of any District VII squad in the University Division for the second year in a row.

For the first time in the program's history, the University of Northern Iowa has had three players in the same year named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District teams. UNI's previous high for Academic All-District honors was two and it occurred on four different occasions (2001, 2002, 2004 and 2005).

Senior linebacker Ryan Patton, senior tight end Ryan Kernes and junior safety Mike McElroywere all voted to the University Division District V first team for the second year in a row. The trio joins J.T. Wise (2005, 2006) as the only players in program history to be named first team academic all-district twice in a career.

The last time YSU had two players named first-team Academic All-District in the same year was 2001 (Mike Thomas and Antulio Aroche). The last Penguin to receive Academic All-America honors was Scott Thiessen in 2003 (first team).

Two Bears, offensive lineman David Arkin and wide receiver Jared Emery, were named to the All-District first team and will be eligible for inclusion on the Division I Academic All-America ballot which will be determined later this month.  Safety Skylar Smith and punter Jordan Chiles earned second-team honors.

North Dakota state matched South Dakota State for the most selections to the teams, as the Bison had four on the first- or second-team District VII unit.  Three Bison were named Academic All-America last year, and this year, DB Kyle Belmont represents North Dakota State on the first-team all-district VII squad and is eligible for All-America honors.

Western Illinois (2) and Indiana State (1) combined for three student-athletes on the first-team all-district V unit, including LB Kyle Glazier, RB Josh Gabelman, and DL Dan Millington.  All of the first-team selections advance to the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration. 

Selections to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII Team are based on votes by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America.  Student-athletes must be at least a sophomore in athletic standing, maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.3 and be a starter or key reserve.  Missouri Valley Football honorees are listed below.

FIRST TEAM, DISTRICT VII
P Dean Priddy, SDSU, Gr., Eden Prairie, Minn., 3.71, Master's in mathematics
WR Jared Emery, MSU, Sr., Mountain Grove, Mo., 3.74 Microbiology and Biotechnology
RB Kyle Minett, SDSU, Jr., Ruthton, Minn., 3.60 Economics
OL Casey Knips, SDSU, Sr., Adrian, Minn., 3.69 Construction Management
OL David Arkin, MSU, Jr., Wichita, Kan., 3.70 Construction Management
DB Conrad Kjerstad, SDSU, Jr., Wall, S.D., 3.93 Agricultural Business
DB Kyle Belmont, NDSU, Gr., Battle Lake, Minn., 3.70, Psychology
LB Josh Mahoney, UNI, Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D., 4.0 English & Economics
DL Ben Boothby, UNI, So., Clinton, Iowa, 3.81, Exercise Science/Pre-Physical Therapy

SECOND TEAM, DISTRICT VII
P Jordan Chiles, MSU, So., Hillsboro, Ill., 3.35 Exercise & Movement Science/Pre-Prof.
TE Ryan Mahaffey, UNI, Jr., Grinnell, Iowa, 3.69 Economics
RB Drew Hushka, NDSU, Jr., Fargo, N.D., 3.37 Psychology
OL Jeff Curtis, NDSU, Sr., New Hope, Minn., 3.39 Management Communication
DB Skylar Smith, MSU, Jr. Springfield, Mo., 3.32 Finance
DL Coulter Boyer, NDSU, So., Hurley, S.D., 3.35 Business

FIRST TEAM, DISTRICT IV
OL Brian Mellott, YSU, Gr., Austintown, Ohio, 3.90, Accounting
PK Stephen Blose, YSU, Jr., Erie, Pa., 4.0 Middle Childhood Education

FIRST TEAM, DISTRICT V
TE Ryan Kernes, SIU, Sr., Bloomington, Ill. 4.00 Civil Engineering
RB Josh Gabelmann, WIU, So., Bettendorf, Iowa 3.37 Accounting
DB Mike McElroy, SIU, Jr. Lowell, Mich., 3.73 Health Education
LB Ryan Patton, SIU, Sr., West Frankfort, Ill., 4.00 Business Administration
LB Kyle Glazier, WIU, Jr., Geneseo, Ill., 3.86 Law Enforcement & Management
DL Dan Millington, INS, Sr., Terre Haute, Ind., 3.91 Exercise Science