ST. LOUIS - The postseason honors continue to roll in for Illinois State football players, as junior defensive tackle Eric Brunner and sophomore quarterback Matt Lancaster were named to the 2010 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic Team, announced by the league office Tuesday.
Brunner was named a first-team selection on this year's squad, while Lancaster was placed on the second team in the annual vote conducted by the league's sports information directors. Nominees for the all-academic team 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.
The academic honors are nothing new for Brunner, who was selected to the 2010 CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District V Team by the Academic All-America® Committee earlier this month and was a 2009 MVFC All-Academic Second-Team selection. The Greendale, Wis., native maintains a 3.48 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in accounting at Illinois State and was named the W.F. Ruebush Endowed Scholarship recipient for the 2010-11 school year.
Brunner increased his production in 2010 and proved to be a leader for the Redbird defense, which earned him All-MVFC First-Team honors. Brunner started all 11 games on the defensive line and ranked fifth on the team with a career-high 53 tackles. He also led the team with four sacks and 9.5 tackles-for-loss, both career-highs, and was credited with two quarterback hurries and fumble recovery on the season. Brunner posted seven tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack in a win against Missouri State and topped that effort with a career-high two sacks and 2.5 tackles-for-loss in a victory over No. 14 North Dakota State.
Lancaster was named to the MVFC All-Academic Team in his first year of eligibility, after playing in all 11 games for the Redbirds in 2010. The West Lafayette, Ind., native holds a 3.90 cumulative grade point average (GPA) in geology at Illinois State and served as ISU's backup quarterback and as the team's holder on placements. Lancaster completed 9-of-15 passes for 128 yards and a touchdown behind center and rushed 24 times for 75 yards for a 3.1 yards-per-carry average for the Redbirds. He threw for 93 yards and a touchdown at No. 19 UNI and connected with Tyrone Walker on an 80-yard TD pass, the longest of the season for ISU.
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