Football gets six players on academic all-district

November 14, 2002
For the second consecutive season, the St. Thomas football team has three of the 25 first-team Verizon Academic All-District V honorees.

Coach Don Roney's team had a total of six of the 72 players recognized on three teams for the elite academic awards, which are voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (Co-SIDA). To be eligible, players must have a 3.20 or better gpa and be a starter or significant contributor. District V includes a large section of midwest schools in NAIA and NCAA Division II and III.

The Tommies' three first-team honorees in 2002 all go onto the national ballot for Academic All-America consideration -- RB Jake Barkley (SR-Plymouth/Robbinsdale Armstrong), WR Andrew Hilliard (SR-Woodbury) and LB John Kaiser (JR-Mora). Barkley has a 3.90 gpa in Entrepreneurship; Hilliard has a 3.987 gpa in Math; and Kaiser has a 3.73 gpa in Management/Accounting.

Barkley is trying to become the second St. Thomas football player to make Academic All-America three times. Hilliard is trying to become the school's first four-time Academic All-American, as he's previously been honored twice for track and field and in 2001 for football. Kaiser is the third member of his family on the national ballot for football, as his older brothers Greg (1997 at QB) and Andy (2001 at DT) were previous Academic All-America honorees.

Three other Tommies made second- or third-team Academic All-District -- OT Logan Kane (SR-Inver Grove Heights/South St. Paul), TE Jon Learn (SR-Red Wing) and punter Kyle Davenport (JR-Marquette, Mich.). Kane has a 3.528 gpa in Secondary Education; Learn has 3.36 gpa in Business; and Davenport has a 3.445 gpa in Biochemistry.

Barkley broke a 25-year-old conference career rushing record in last Friday's 63-21 loss to Concordia. He rushed 23 times for 142 yards and finished his career with 3,969 yards. He broke the MIAC record of 3,933 yards set from 1974-77 by St. John's Tim Schmitz. Barkley also had 33 career touchdowns; 4,644 all-purpose yards; and 20 games of 100 or more rushing yards.

Barkley's senior season was marred by a groin injury, or he easily would have surpassed 4,000 yards. He played parts of seven games but only played five full games on the Tommies' 10-game schedule. In the five games in which he was relatively healthy, he gained 786 yards and scored 12 TDs. He finished with 834 rushing yards on the season.

Hilliard was slowed by injuries late in the season but still finished with 49 ctaches for 737 yards and six touchdowns in nine games. In 38 career starts, he had 23 touchdowns and made 148 catches for 2,547 yards good for No. 2 on the St. Thomas career receiving list. He was one of 14 college football players from all divisions named to the National Scholar-Athlete team by the National Football Foundation. He will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship and be honored at a black-tie dinner in new York Dec. 10. Hilliard is the second MIAC player in the 43-year history of the award to be honored -- joining Chirs Palmer of St. John's, a 1995 recipient. Hilliard also was named to the "Good Works" team by the American Football Coaches' Association for exceptional community service. Only three Division III players in the nation were recognized. It's the fifth year in a row that St. Thomas has had a player on the Good Works team.

Kaiser, a three-year starter, led the Tommies in tackles this season with 103. He also had 10 tackles for loss and one fumble recovery. On his three-year career, he has 206 tackles, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries, 18 tackles for loss and one sack.

Learn joined the starting lineup his second game as a a freshman and strted 37 career games, missing two with injuries. He finished his career with 92 catches for 1,257 yards and 14 TDs. He had 24 catches for 445 yards and four touchdowns in 2002.

Kane was a three-year starter who helped pave the way for Barkley's rushing records. The Tommie offense averaged nearly 450 total yards and more than 30 ppg in each of the last two seasons in large part due to Kane and his linemates.

Davenport has been the Tommie punter all 30 games on his career. He averaged 32.0 ypp on 37 punts this season with seven downed inside the 20.

2002 Verizon Academic All-District V Football
FIRST TEAM
QUARTERBACK (1)
KEITH HECKENDORF, Saint Cloud State University, V, Junior 3.64, Physical Education

RECEIVERS (2)
MIKE FITZGERALD, Lake Forest College, V, Senior 3.73, Economics

ANDREW HILLIARD, Univ. of St. Thomas, V, Senior 3.978, Mathematics / Secondary Education

TIGHT END (1)
NICK DAWSON, Wabash College, V, Junior 3.83, History / Spanish
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RUNNING BACKS (2)
JAKE BARKLEY, University of St. Thomas, V, Senior 3.90, Entrepreneurship

ANDY TRAETOW, Gustavus Adolphus College, V, Senior 3.57, Elementary Education

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (5)
MIKE BESTUL, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, V, Senior 3.93, Kinesiology

SAM DiGRINO, Winona State University, V, Senior 3.58, Law & Society

BOB JESKE, Minnesota State, Mankato, V, Junior 4.00, Biology & Pre-Med

BOB PAULIN, Augustana College, V, Senior 3.49, Accounting & Computer Science

DANIEL SCHWARTZ, Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech., V, Graduate 3.63, Electrical Engineering

KICKER (1)
ANDREW BEALS, Millikin University, V, Junior 3.90, Marketing

DEFENSIVE BACKS (4)
TODD BALDWIN, Augustana College, V, Senior 3.97, Finance & Economics

ADAM GUY, Augustana College, V, Junior 3.91, Physics

JESSE McQUISTON, Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech., V, Senior 3.96, Mechanical Engineering

JON PETERSON, Northwestern College (Minn.), V, Senior 4.0, Math

LINEBACKERS (4 -- 3 selected for the team + tie for last position)
JON FOSS, Bethel College (Minn.), V, Senior 3.50, Economics & Finance

JOHN KAISER, University of St. Thomas, V, Junior 3.73, Management / Accounting

BEN SPILSETH, Gustavus Adolphus College, V, Senior 3.95, Biochemistry / Chemistry

TIM SWAN, Rose-Hulman Inst. of Tech., V, Senior 3.93, Mechanical Engineering

DEFENSIVE LINE (4)
BRAD BURTNETTE, Illinois Wesleyan University, V, Senior 3.50, Computer Science

DANE LUNDGREN, Wheaton College, V, Senior 3.39, English Literature

PATRICK RYAN, Benedictine University, V, Senior 3.63, Accounting

JUSTIN SCHNEIDER, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, V, Senior 3.706, Accounting & Finance
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PUNTER (1)
KRIS JOHNSON, University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, V, Senior 3.716, Physical Education