ESU Academic Awards page

EAST STROUDSBURG - East Stroudsburg University redshirt junior offensive lineman Devon Ackerman has been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Division II football first team for the second straight season, it was released Wednesday.

Ackerman (Hanover, Pa./South Western), a Biochemistry major with a 4.0 grade-point average through six semesters, is one of four student-athletes to repeat from the first team last fall.

Ackerman is the fourth multiple-time first team Academic All-America selection in school history. The program began in 1952, and ESU had its first selection in 1979.

He joins goalkeeper Katie Horst (field hockey - 1998-99), linebacker Matt Freed (football - 2009-10) and Rose Mascoli (track & field/cross country - 2012-13) on ESU's list of multiple-time first team selections.

Ackerman is the 14th ESU student-athlete to gain multiple Academic All-America honors, and the second Warriors football player, joining Freed.

He has started all 33 games in his career at ESU, moving to center for all 11 games this season after starting the previous 22 games at left guard in 2014 and 2015.

Ackerman snapped to two quarterbacks who threw for over 1,200 yards and blocked for redshirt senior tailback Robert Healy, who set ESU single-season records for rushing yards (1,163) and rushing TD (18) in just 8.5 games.

He is ESU's third Academic All-America selection this fall, along with senior women's soccer student-athletes Andrea Polanco (back - 2nd team) and Hannah Gombos (back - 3rd team), who were recognized last week.

Through the 2016 fall sports season (men's and women's soccer, football and women's volleyball), ESU leads the PSAC with five Academic All-District selections, the precursor to Academic All-America - Ackerman, Polanco, Gombos, Shea Neal (women's soccer) and Christian Bukowski (men's soccer).

Ackerman is one of eight PSAC student-athletes recognized, four on the first team and four on the second team. Joining Ackerman on the first team are wide receiver Kevin Genevro (Clarion) and defensive linemen Matthew Gawlik (Gannon) and Marcus Martin (Slippery Rock). Second team selections are offensive linemen Ryan Michaels (Mercyhurst) and Taylor Nikithser (California), kicker Will Brazill (California) and linebacker Jacob Craig (Clarion).

Ackerman is one of 10 student-athletes, among 50 recognized, with a 4.0 GPA.


About the Academic All-District and Academic All-America program

The Academic All-District and Academic All-America teams recognize student-athletes for athletic and academic achievements and are nominated and voted on by members of CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America).

ESU is tied for second in the PSAC with 95 Academic All-District selections in the last nine years (2007-08 through 2015-16), and tied for third with 36 Academic All-America selections in that time frame.

ESU finished the 2015-16 academic year with 12 Academic All-District selections, the most in the PSAC.

Ackerman is ESU's third Academic All-America selection this fall, joining senior backs Andrea Polanco (2nd team) and Hannah Gombos (3rd team) from women's soccer.

ESU had six Academic All-America selections last year, tied for the most in the PSAC - Jon Schnaars (football - 1st team), Ackerman (football - 1st team), Ally Roth (women's at-large/field hockey - 3rd team), Alex Zubko (men's track & field/cross country - 1st team), Travis Toth (men's track & field/cross country - 2nd team) and William Berry (men's track & field/cross country - 3rd team).

This marks the sixth year that separate teams have been selected for Division II, Division III and College Division (NAIA/Canadian schools/two-year schools) institutions. The previous "College Division" included all DII, DIII, Canadian and junior college programs.

District 2 of Division II follows the NCAA's regional model and includes all schools from the PSAC (Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference), Mountain East Conference and CIAA (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association). The Northeast-10 Conference is also included in the region for football.

Including this year, ESU has had 44 student-athletes combine for 62 Academic All-America awards in school history, with 28 student-athletes combining for 39 awards in the last nine years.

At the district level, 96 ESU student-athletes have combined for 141 Academic All-District selections.