Thirteen Air Force football players earned academic All-Mountain West Conference honors today.
The 13 selections tie for the second-most in program history. The 1999 squad set a record with 18 academic all-conference selections. The 2000 and 2006 teams each had 13 selections.
The Fall 2009 Academic All-MWC team includes 384 student-athletes from football, women’s soccer, women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s cross country. To be eligible for selection, student-athletes must have completed at least one academic term at the member institution while maintaining a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better, and be a starter or significant contributor on their athletic team.
Here are the Air Force football players on the team with their majors and, in parentheses, their grade-point averages:
Senior Nick Charles, Management (3.13)
Senior Ben Garland, Systems Engineering Management (3.15)
Senior Justin Moore, Management (3.00)
Senior Chris Thomas, Management (3.22)
Junior Keil Bartholomew, Systems Engineering Management (3.20)
Junior Kevin Fogler, Management (3.60)
Junior Kyle Halderman, Economics (3.04)
Junior Tyler Schonsheck, Aeronautical Engineering (3.21)
Junior Nathan Walker, Systems Engineering Management (3.03)
Sophomore Jeffrey Benson, Systems Engineering Management (3.38)
Sophomore Josh Hall, Legal Studies (3.01)
Sophomore A.J. Wallerstein, Physics (3.26)
Freshman Olawale Lawal, Undeclared (3.36)
This is a significant accomplishment and another indication that the program is moving in the right direction again. Coach Calhoun’s comments reflected above about academics as a priority are dead on. It would be terrific see Air Force place some football players on the Academic All-America squad as well. There was a time when the service academies placed several people each year on the AAA team.
But this is a big deal-the time commitments these kids have to make to simply play at a competent Division I level directly affect their class attendance and preparation time. Every one of them should be congratulated.