The Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Directors Association has named 53 student-athletes to the 22nd annual Academic All-Star Team, including NDSU fullback Garrett Malstrom and tight end Ben Ellefson.
The team was selected from a pool of nearly 120 applicants. Leading the way was the Missouri Valley Football Conference, which placed nine student-athletes on the 2019 Academic All-Star Team. The Missouri Valley Football Conference was followed closely by the Colonial Athletic Association and the Big Sky Conference, which tallied six recipients each.
FCS ADA president Kent Haslam, director of athletics at the University of Montana, said, "The accomplishments of this group of young men are truly remarkable. They excel on the field, in the classroom and in their communities. I congratulate them, along with all those who have provided critical support along the way, on this tremendous honor."
Football players from all Football Championship Subdivision institutions are eligible for the award. Each of the nominees were required to have a minimum grade-point average of 3.20 in undergraduate study and have been a starter or key player with legitimate athletics credentials. They must have reached their second year of athletics and academic standing at the nominated institution and have completed a minimum of one full academic year at the nominated institution. They also must have participated in 50 percent of the games played at their designated position.
Additionally, from the 2019 Academic All-Star Team, 10 finalists were selected for the 19th annual 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 2020 NACDA Convention, at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas.
The 2019 FCS ADA Postgraduate Scholarship finalists are: Ben Ellefson, NDSU, TE, 3.93 GPA; Josh Fink, Abilene Christian University, WR, 3.81 GPA; Tom Flacco, Towson University, QB, 4.0 GPA; Ezra Gray, Alabama State University, RB, 4.0 GPA; Brogan McPartland, Harvard University, DL, 3.65 GPA; Dante Olson, University of Montana, LB, 3.91 GPA; Alex Pechin, Bucknell University, P, 3.9 GPA; Adam Trautman, University of Dayton, TE, 3.29 GPA; Andre Walker, Houston Baptist University, DL, 3.69 GPA; and Chris Zirkle, Northwestern State University, OL, 3.83 GPA.
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