NORMAL, Ill. – Led by former Redbirds Michael Ganzer and Koty Thelen, the Illinois State football team placed 76 current and former student athletes on the Missouri Valley Football Conference 2016-17 Honor Roll, as announced by the league office Friday. Ganzer and Thelen earned the league's highest academic achievement by garnering the MVFC President's Council Academic Excellence Award.
The President's Council Academic Excellence Award requires a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average (through Fall 2016 semester) and participation in athletics a minimum of two years. The student-athlete must be within 18 hours of graduation. Additionally, 19 Redbirds among the 149 student-athletes received the Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award, which requires a minimum GPA of 3.2 for the previous two semesters (freshmen are not eligible).
Ganzer, a linebacker from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was a four-year member of the Illinois State football team. Ganzer saw action in two games on special teams in 2016 and was named to the team's most improved defensive squad his senior year. Thelen, a quarterback from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, was a three-year member of the Illinois State football team. Thelen played in all 12 games his senior year, serving as the team's holder on kick placements.
In addition, the Missouri Valley Football Conference has announced its 2016-17 Honor Roll, which recognizes academic achievement of student-athletes. To qualify for the Honor Roll, a student-athlete must have recorded a minimum 3.0 grade point average for a specified term (Fall 2016), must have been a member of the football team, and must have a minimum of 12 hours of enrollment during the fall. Nearly 500 student-athletes earned Honor Roll recognition.
PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ACADEMIC AWARD - Michael Ganzer, Koty Thelen
COMMISSIONER'S ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD - Brannon Barry, B.J. Bello, Tyler Brown, Cole Bumpus, Adam Conley, Alec Diab, Michael Ganzer, Ryan Gelber, Jake Hendershot, Drew Himmelman, Bryce Holm, Alec Kocour, Jake Kolbe, Zackary Mathews, Matt McCown, John Nicholson, Sean Slattery, Jeruel Taylor, Brady Tibbits
HONOR ROLL - Reece Attard, Kyle Avaloy, Brannon Barry, B.J. Bello, Meekah Ben-Israel, Matt Biegalski, JT Bohlken, Zach Breen, Mitchell Brees, Tyler Brown, Weslye Brown, Cole Bumpus, Michael Clements, Seth Combs, Adam Conley, Ty DeForest, Alec Diab, Jacob Donohoe, Michael Ganzer, Ryan Gelber, Trey Georgie, Christian Gibbs, James Graham, Nick Griffith, Sam Halm, Kyle Harbour, Jason Harris, Davontae Harris, Dean Helt, Jake Hendershot, Drew Himmelman, Garrett Hirsch, Bryce Holm, Blake Hooper, George Hoselton, Kevin Jackson, Connor Janes, Bryce Jefferson, Conor Joyce, Chad Kanugh, Dalton Keene, Nick Kielbasa, Ade Kilpatrick, Luther Kirk, Alec Kocour, Jake Kolbe, Michael Kolzow, Cameron Lee, Dave Lux, Zackary Mathews, Timothy McCloyn II, Matt McCown, Erik Mikkelson, Andy Mills, Paul Monaco, John Nicholson, Bradley Novak, Donavin O'Day, Tylor Petkovich, Steven Podkulski, Jared Rients, Marko Ristic, Alejandro Rivera, James Robinson, Sean Slattery, Tristan Smith, Mark Spelman, Jeruel Taylor, Koty Thelen, Brady Tibbits, Jamal Towns, Brett Weaver, Kyle Williams, Ryan Zitkus
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