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AUSTIN, Texas – The 2016 Academic All-America® Division II football team have been announced as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Five Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) football standouts have achieved CoSIDA Academic All-America® status.

The Division II Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division II national governance structure to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2016-17 Division II Academic All-America® teams program. 

The CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II football team features 11 returning CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections, with nine finding a spot on the first team. Three members of the 2016 edition have earned CoSIDA Academic All-America® laurels three years each: Western State Colorado University senior running back Austin Ekeler, Gannon University senior defensive lineman Matthew Gawlik and Mercyhurst University redshirt junior offensive lineman Ryan Michaels.

In addition to Ekeler, Gawlik and Michaels, eight student-athletes are repeat selections from the CoSIDA 2015 Academic All-America® Division II football team. Seven of the eight found a spot on the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team. Three players earn first team distinction for the second consecutive year: East Stroudsburg University junior offensive lineman Devon Ackerman, Colorado State University-Pueblo junior offensive lineman Corbin Feenstra and Michigan Technological University graduate student punter Ryan VanGoethem.   

VanGoethem is a biological sciences major with a 3.97 G.P.A. In the football arena, the West Branch, Michigan, resident was named to the All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honorable mention squad for the second year in a row. VanGoethem averaged 39.0 yards per punt this season, landing 17 boots inside the 20-yard line. He forced 14 fair catches and boomed a season-best 72-yard punt against Tiffin University.

Four football student-athletes (plus Western State's Ekeler) made the move from the 2015 CoSIDA Academic All-America® second team to the 2016 first team: Ashland University junior tight end Adam Shaheen, Colorado School of Mines graduate student offensive lineman Hasan Shaar, Winona State University junior place kicker Carter McCauley and Slippery Rock University junior defensive lineman Marcus Martin.

Shaheen is one of 42 nominees for the Harlon Hill Trophy and the only tight end on the 2016 list. Statistically, the Galena, Ohio native completed the 2016 season with 57 catches for 867 yards and 16 touchdowns. His 16 touchdown grabs is a school and Division II single season record for tight ends. A first team All-GLIAC pick, Shaheen leads all Division II tight ends in the three aforementioned categories and continues to lead all tight ends (at all three NCAA levels) in TD receptions. On Oct. 10, he became the first tight end in GLIAC history to win the league's Offensive Player of the Week award. He holds a 3.80 G.P.A. with his finance major.

The 24 CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division II football first team members hold a composite 3.86 G.P.A. Seven of the 24 student-athletes have a perfect 4.00 cumulative G.P.A.

The remaining members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team offense include wide receivers Cory Contini of Ohio Dominican University and Kevin Genevro of Clarion University; running back Gena Adams of Bemidji State University; and offensive linemen Sam Hall of Newberry College and Dillon Vaughan of West Texas A&M University. 

The other student-athletes on the CoSIDA Academic All-America® first team defense include defensive linemen Austin Cary of Malone University and Chad Stoterau of Northern State University; linebackers Cody Burtscher of Tarleton State University, Bryan Hardy of Bentley University and Tyke Kozeal of the University of Nebraska at Kearney; and defensive backs Manny Abad of Florida Institute of Technology, Caleb Courkamp of the Colorado School of Mines, Logan Cox of the University of Charleston (W.Va.) and Deron Washington of Pittsburg State.

In addition to Michaels Parsons, the remaining members of the CoSIDA Academic All-America® second team offense include quarterback Bart Williams of Grand Valley State University; wide receiver Mitchell Shegos of Notre Dame (Ohio) College; tight ends Kooper Davis of Carson-Newman University and Conner Doherty of Northern State; running backs Josh Caldwell of Missouri Western State University and Alex Shain of Assumpton College; offensive linemen Nick Barmoy of Shepherd University, Eric Mitchell of Harding University, Taylor Nikithser of California University of Pennsylvania, Colin Peter of Colorado Mines and Trevor Wescott of the University of Sioux Falls; and place kicker Will Brazill of California (Pa.).

The student-athletes on the Academic All-America® second team defense include defensive linemen Bret Curtis of Missouri University of Science and Technology, Bryson Hamilton of Augustana (S.D.) University, Myles Humphrey of Shepherd and Cordell Zalenski of Harding; linebackers Jacob Craig of Clarion, Michael Fisher of Northwood (Mich.) University and Kirby Hora of Augustana (S.D.); defensive backs Marcus Houghton of Emporia State University, Sam McDonald of Bentley, Cameron Nix of Southwestern Oklahoma State University and Dustin Rivas of Colorado Mesa University; and punter Aaron La Deaux of Minot State University.