ST. LOUIS -- Forty-one student-athletes, including 15 who earned first-team honors, highlight the 2011 all-Missouri Valley Football Conference all-academic team, announced by the league office today. Seven of the 15 first-teamers also earned 2011 Capital One Academic All-District plaudits, as selected by College Sports Information Directors (CoSIDA).

Nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale). Student-athletes must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at their institutions (freshmen are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution. League sports information directors voted on the team by designating 11 players for first-team honors and 11 players for second-team honors.

2011 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic Team (voting by league SIDs)

FIRST TEAM
#DT Ben Boothby, Northern Iowa		6-0	280	Gr.	3.89	Physical Ed: Kinesiology / Clinton (Iowa) High
#DL Eric Brunner, Illinois State	6-2	285	Sr.	3.36	Accounting / Greendale (Wis.) High
P Jordan Chiles, Missouri State		5-11	178	Sr.	3.46	Exercise & Movement Science / Hillsboro (Ill.) High 
WR/PR Myers Hendrickson, WIU		5-11	190	Sr	3.90	Supply Chain Management / Macomb (Ill.) High
#WR Jarred Herring, Northern Iowa	5-9	170	Sr.	3.61	Psychology / Burlington (Iowa) High
QB Kurt Hess, Youngstown State		6-3	235	So.	3.28	Early Childhood Education / Dayton (Ohio) Chaminade-Julienne
#OL Jimmy Holtschlag, Western Illinois	6-5	300	So.	4.00	Agriculture / Exercise Science / Quincy (Ill.) Notre Dame
TE Brad Iverson, S. Dakota State	6-4	235	Sr.	4.00	Pre-Medicine/ Biochemistry / Sioux Falls (S.D.) Roosevelt High
LB Connor James, Southern Illinois	6-1	221	Gr.	4.00	Sports Administration / Mattoon (Ill.) High
OL FN Lutz, Indiana State		6-3	290	Jr.	3.26	Criminal Justice / West Lafayette (Ind.) Lafayette Harrison
#CB Mike McElroy, Southern Illinois	6-1	212	Sr.	3.73	Health Education / Lowell (Mich.) High
LB Kevin Palermo, Western Illinois	6-1	225	Sr.	3.51	Construction Management / West Chicago (Ill.) Driscoll Catholic
#OL David Pickard, Southern Illinois	6-5	306	Gr.	4.00	Public Administration / Oak Park (Ill.) High
#DB Alex Sewall, Indiana State		6-1	210	Sr.	3.73	Exercise Science / Western Springs (Ill.) Lyons Township
TE Matt Veldman, N. Dakota State	6-7	257	Sr.	3.53	Marketing / Becker (Minn.) High

SECOND TEAM
P Kyle Bernard, Northern Iowa		6-3	198	Jr.	3.77	Movement & Exercise Science / Cedar Falls (Iowa) High
DB Julian Easterly, Indiana State	6-0	190	Sr.	3.97	English / Detroit (Mich.) Cass Tech
FB Mike Harmon, Western Illinois	5-11	240	Jr.	3.87	Exercise Science / Peoria (Ill.) Central High
DB Bo Helm, South Dakota State		5-10	190	Jr.	3.46	Biology / Childress (Texas) High
WR Brandon Hubert, S. Dakota St.	5-11	185	So.	3.53	Pre-Pharmacy / Gretna (Neb.) High
									Certified ACS Chemistry	
DT Andrew Johnson, Youngstown St.	6-4	285	Sr.	3.63	Sociology / Detroit (Mich.) Southeastern High
QB Marc Kanetsky, Youngstown St.	6-0	195	Sr.	3.87	Biology / Hubbard (Ohio) High
LB Joe Okon, Southern Illinois		6-3	241	Sr.	3.32	Psychology / Arlington Heights (Ill.) Rolling Meadows
OL Alex Olinger, S. Dakota State	6-3	295	Jr.	3.98	Pre-Med./Pharmacy/Biology / Ames (Iowa) High
P Austin Pucylowski, S. Illinois	6-4	236	So.	4.00	Pre-Med. / New Berlin (Wis.) Catholic Memorial
WR/RS Ryan Smith, North Dakota State	5-7	174	So.	3.48	Business Administration / Wahpeton (N.D.) High
OL Taylor Suess, S. Dakota State	6-3	290	So.	3.93	Mechanical Engineering / Columbus (Neb.) Scotus Central Catholic
TE Matt Thayer, Missouri State		6-4	235	Jr.	3.36	Criminology / Bellevue (Neb.) Bellevue East High
DE Colton Underwood, Illinois State	6-4	245	So.	3.39	Marketing / Washington (Ill.) High

HONORABLE MENTION
Indiana State:  TE Michael Mardis • Missouri State:  PK Austin Witmer • Southern Illinois:  LS Jason Stegman
South Dakota State:  OL Zach Buchner, TE Seth Daughters, RB Tyrel Kool, LB Ross Shafrath  • Western Illinois:  OL Jordan Valle
North Dakota State:  DL Ryan Drevlow, FB Andrew Grothmann, OL Jesse Hinz, DL Justin Juckem

# - denotes Capital One Academic All-District Selections