AUSTIN, Texas --- Aurora University senior
Matthew Kickel received top academic recognition today (Jan. 28) as College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced its 2024 Division III Academic All-America® Football Teams.
Having already secured post season recognition on all three major Division III Football All-American Teams, Kickel now adds the top honor on the academic side from CSC. Kickel was named Second Team All-American by D3football.com, the Associated Press (AP) and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) and now adds a Second Team Academic All-America® honor to his strong 2024 accolades.
Kickel becomes the 51st Spartan to earn CSC (formerly CoSIDA) Academic All-America® recognition and the fifth AU football student-athlete.
He was also selected as the 2024 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year and earned D3football.com All-Region and a First Team All-Conference recognitions.
In his career, Kickel is now a five-time All-American (2024 D3football.com, AP and AFCA and 2023 AP and D3football.com), a two-time D3football.com All-Region performer and three-time NACC All-Conference selection while adding the NACC Offensive Lineman of the Year honor in 2024.
The unquestioned leader of the AU offensive line, Kickel paved the way for an Aurora offense that averaged 46.6 points per game, 464.3 yards per game with 294.4 yards passing and 169.9 on the ground in the season. Nationally in the regular season the AU offense ranked seventh in scoring, 16th in total offense, 16th in passing and 18th in first-downs gained.
The 2024 Spartans finished the season with a 9-2 record, a perfect 8-0 in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference and a 2024 NCAA Division III playoff appearance. The champions of the NACC, the AU football team headed to the NCAA Division III Football Championship for the ninth time in program history and fifth consecutive season of the NCAA hosting the playoffs.
The Spartans made the 2024 NCAA Division III playoffs, falling in the second round at Hope College 49-21.
2024 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America® Football Team ~ NCAA Division III
| Pos. |
First Team |
School |
Yr. |
GPA |
Major |
| QB |
Aaron Syverson |
Saint John's University (Minn.) |
Sr. |
3.7 |
Accounting |
| WR |
Robby Ballentine |
DePauw University |
Jr. |
3.95 |
Biochemistry & Global Health |
| WR |
Malin Jasinski |
The College of New Jersey |
Gr. |
3.68 |
Finance |
| RB |
Arsen Shtefan (2) |
Springfield College |
Gr. |
3.64 |
Business Administration |
| RB |
Aaron Ellingson |
Bethel University |
Gr. |
3.97/3.94 |
Business (Finance) |
| TE |
Zach Cernuto |
Washington & Jefferson College |
Sr. |
3.86 |
Psychology |
| OL |
Jeske Maples (*) |
North Central College |
Sr. |
3.96 |
Health Science |
| OL |
Matt Wrather (2) |
John Carroll University |
Sr. |
3.75 |
Business |
| OL |
David Munoz |
Shenandoah University |
Gr. |
3.79/3.67 |
MBA Digital Marketing |
| OL |
Thomas Perry (1) |
Middlebury College |
Sr. |
3.92 |
Molecular Biology and Biochemistry |
| OL |
Dylan Page (1) |
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology |
Sr. |
3.98 |
Biomedical Engineering & Mechanical Engineering |
| DB |
Nate Farm (&) |
Bethel University |
Gr. |
3.92/4.00 |
Neuroscience (U) / Marriage & Family Therapy (G) |
| DB |
Gavin Smith |
Central College |
Jr. |
3.92 |
Accounting |
| DB |
Matt Jung |
Bethel University |
So. |
3.82 |
Accounting & Finance |
| DB |
Evan Kutzler |
Lebanon Valley College |
Sr. |
3.92/3.94 |
Exercise Science |
| DL |
Dawson Dietz (2) |
Washington & Jefferson College |
Sr. |
3.73 |
Business Administration |
| DL |
Chance Knight |
Marietta College |
Sr. |
3.6 |
Management |
| DL |
Matthew Konkol |
Johns Hopkins University |
Sr. |
3.89 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| DL |
Collin Thompson (1) |
Concordia-Moorhead |
Sr. |
3.96 |
Management Science (G) |
| LB |
Robert Coury (*) |
Carnegie Mellon University |
Gr. |
3.97 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| LB |
BJ Adamchik (1) |
North Central College |
Sr. |
3.92/4.00 |
Sports Leadership (G) |
| LB |
Jonathan Bruder |
DePauw University |
Sr. |
3.87 |
Biochemistry |
| K |
Justin Caputo |
Carnegie Mellon University |
Jr. |
4 |
Chemical Engineering |
| P |
Vicente Lyon |
Hobart College |
So. |
3.56 |
Computer Science & Mgmt. & Entrepreneurship |
| ST |
Ben Bryant |
Wartburg College |
Sr. |
3.62 |
Business Administration |
|
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|
| Pos. |
Second Team |
School |
Yr. |
GPA |
Major |
| QB |
Steven Hugney |
Shenandoah University |
Sr. |
3.99 |
Data Science & Computer Science |
| WR |
Dylan Wheeler |
Saint John's University (Minn.) |
Jr. |
3.54 |
Accounting |
| WR |
Jereme Ombogo |
North Park University |
Jr. |
3.94 |
Marketing & Economics |
| RB |
Sivert Klefsaas |
University of Northwestern - St. Paul |
Jr. |
3.96 |
Marketing |
| RB |
Jay Smith |
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology |
Jr. |
3.52 |
Computer Science |
| TE |
Bobby Behmer |
North Central College |
Sr. |
4 |
Economics |
| OL |
Grady Roadman |
Springfield College |
Sr. |
3.98 |
Education |
| OL |
Matthew Kickel |
Aurora University |
Gr. |
3.5 |
Business Administration (G) |
| OL |
John Scarboro |
Gallaudet University |
Sr. |
3.53 |
Business Administration |
| OL |
Grant Davis |
Baldwin Wallace University |
Sr. |
4 |
Chemistry |
| OL |
Ethan Kowalski |
Hobart College |
Sr. |
3.9 |
Economics & Management & Entrepreneurship |
| DB |
Mason Cravens |
Hardin-Simmons University |
Jr. |
4 |
Economics |
| DB |
Aaron Borgerding |
University of Wisconsin-River Falls |
Sr. |
3.74 |
Health & Human Performance |
| DB |
PJ Penders |
Johns Hopkins University |
Sr. |
3.66 |
Economics |
| DB |
Dalton Tjong |
Ohio Northern University |
Sr. |
3.54 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| DL |
Alex Aitchison (3) |
Coe College |
Sr. |
3.89 |
Kinesiology |
| DL |
Caleb Sell |
Linfield University |
Sr. |
3.63 |
Finance |
| DL |
Zach Frank |
Saint John's University (Minn.) |
Sr. |
3.92 |
Accounting |
| DL |
Tomás Kenary (1) |
Middlebury College |
Sr. |
3.74 |
Neuroscience |
| DL |
Nick Lardaro |
SUNY Cortland |
Sr. |
3.55 |
Adolescence Education - Mathematics |
| LB |
Zach Brooks |
Whitworth University |
Sr. |
3.98 |
English |
| LB |
Thomas Coury (#) |
Carnegie Mellon University |
Sr. |
3.95/4.00 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| LB |
Silas Egenlauf |
Alfred State College |
Sr. |
3.88 |
Construction Management |
| K |
Kyle Ihle |
Randolph-Macon College |
Sr. |
4 |
Accounting & Economics |
| P |
Benjamin Younker |
University of Wisconsin-Platteville |
So. |
3.85 |
Civil Engineering |
| ST |
Breyden Smith |
Augustana College |
Jr. |
3.67 |
Business Marketing & Political Science |
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| CSC Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year: Aaron Syverson, Saint John’s University (Minn.) |
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| (1) – Academic All-America® first-team selection in 2023 |
| (2) – Academic All-America® second-team selection in 2023 |
| (3) – Academic All-America® second-team selection in 2022 |
| (*) – Academic All-America® first-team selection in 2023 and first-team selection in 2022 |
| (&) – Academic All-America® first-team selection in 2023 and second-team selection in 2022 |
| (#) – Academic All-America® second-team selection in 2023 and second-team selection in 2022 |