Eastern Michigan Athletics
Five EMU Football Players Earn MAC Academic Honors
1/12/2010 10:10:00 AM | Football, E-Gridiron Group
Thayer named to All-Academic squad while Davis, Mitchell, Palsrok and Reese are H.M. picks
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Five Eastern Michigan University football players earned Mid-American Conference academic honors for the 2009 season.
Junior tight end Ben Thayer (Kalamazoo, Mich.-Hackett Catholic Central) was named to the All-MAC Academic Team after posting a 3.66 GPA as a math-secondary education major.
The honorable mention all-academic selections from EMU were: Eric Davis (Southgate, Mich.-Anderson), Mark Mitchell (Blissfield, Mich.-Tecumseh), Tyler Palsrok (Vicksburg, Mich.-Vicksburg) and Javon Reese (Ft. Wayne, Ind.-Southside).
A 6-foot-4, 228-pound redshirt junior tight end, Thayer played in all 12 games in 2009, earning 11 starts. He finished second on the team in receptions (29) and fourth in receiving yards (261) and recorded two receiving touchdowns, a three-yard score against Ball State (Oct. 24) and an eight-yard tally at Arkansas (Oct. 31).
The 6-foot-2, 283-pound Davis, a redshirt junior, recorded a 3.45 GPA as a finance major. He was the starting offensive center in all eight games in which he played, missing the other four games with an injury.
Mitchell, a 5-foot-11, 175-pound redshirt junior defensive back and special teams player, has a 3.50 GPA as an exercise science major. He played in all 12 games and earned one start at defensive back. Mitchell recorded seven tackles in 2009.
The 6-foot-4, 274-pound Palsrok, a redshirt junior defensive lineman, posted a 3.69 GPA as an art major. Prior to being named honorable mention All-MAC Academic, Palsrok was named to the CoSIDA District Four All-Academic Second Team in 2009. He battled injuries all year, but still played in all 12 games, earning three starts at defensive tackle. Palsrok recorded 12 tackles and had 0.5 tackles-for-loss for two yards in 2009.
Reese, a 6-foot-2, 232-pound sophomore defensive lineman, recorded a 3.49 GPA as a biology major. He played in 11 games in 2009, earning 10 starts on the defensive front. Reese recorded 27 tackles and had nine tackles-for-loss of 38 yards and one sack for loss of 10 while also turning in five quarterback hurries. He finished the season ranked tied for 12th in the MAC in TFLs.
Academic All-MAC
Elliot Bates, Akron, Senior, 4.0 GPA, Graduate Student
Brian Wagner, Akron, Redshirt Freshman, 3.24 GPA, Statistics
#Ian McGarvey, Ball State, Junior, 3.54 GPA, Psychology
Briggs Orsbon, Ball State, Sophomore, 4.0 GPA, Business
#Cody Basler, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.45 GPA, Exercise Science
#Craig Rutherford, Bowling Green, Senior, 4.0 GPA, Secondary Education
#Jimmy Scheidler, Bowling Green, Senior, 3.47 GPA, Pre-Law
Josh Violanti, Buffalo, Sophomore, 3.83 GPA, Psychology
#*Bryan Anderson, Senior, 3.33 GPA, Health Fitness
#Matt Berning, Central Michigan, Junior, 3.81 GPA, Accounting
#Eric Fraser, Central Michigan, Senior, 3.59 GPA, Health Fitness
#*@Dan LeFevour, Central Michigan, Senior, 3.58 GPA, Interpersonal Communication
Sean Murnane, Central Michigan, Senior, 3.40 GPA, Marketing
Allen Ollenburger, Central Michigan, Senior, 3.20 GPA, Outdoor Recreation
#*Frank Zombo, Central Michigan, Senior, 3.38 GPA, Health Fitness
Ben Thayer, Eastern Michigan, Junior, 3.66 GPA, Math Secondary Education
Kevin Hogan, Kent State, Senior, 3.26 GPA, Political Science & Economics (double major)
Matt Rinehart, Kent State, Sophomore, 3.21 GPA, Nursing
Jacquise Terry, Kent State, Sophomore, 3.81 GPA, Aeronautics
Anthony Kokal, Miami, Sophomore, 3.21 GPA, Finance
Seth Phillip, Miami, Junior, 3.98 GPA, Accountancy
*Brandon Bice, Northern Illinois, Senior, 3.40 GPA, Biology
Tommy Davis, Northern Illinois, Redshirt Freshman, 3.39 GPA, Finance
#Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois, Sophomore, 3.63 GPA, Business Management
Adam Olsheski, Ohio, Senior, 4.0 GPA, Education
Matt Weller, Ohio, Redshirt Freshman, 3.24 GPA, Industrial Technology
Dominique Harris, Temple, Senior, 3.50 GPA, Master's degree in Liberal Arts (earned bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice)
Steve Maneri, Temple, Senior, 3.20 GPA, Communications
Ben Armer, Western Michigan, Sophomore, 3.76 GPA, Business
#*Tim Hiller, Western Michigan, Senior, 4.0 GPA, MBA
John Porter, Western Michigan, Sophomore, 3.94 GPA, Business
#*Phil Swanson, Western Michigan, Junior, 3.88 GPA, Journalism
#2008 Academic All-MAC selection
*2007 Academic All-MAC selection
@2006 Academic All-MAC selection
Honorable Mention
Kreg Hunter, Ball State
Andrew Puthoff, Ball State
Zack Akenberger, Bowling Green
Nick Iovinelli, Bowling Green
Robert Colpoys, Buffalo
Bruno Lapointe, Buffalo
Andrew West, Buffalo
Brian Bennyhoff, Central Michigan
Mike Petrucci, Central Michigan
Ryan Radcliff, Central Michigan
Jeremy Wilson, Central Michigan
Eric Davis, Eastern Michigan
Mark Mitchell, Eastern Michigan
Tyler Palsrok, Eastern Michigan
Javon Reese, Eastern Michigan
Michael Fay, Kent State
Jameson Konz, Kent State
Anthony Mirando, Kent State
Dorian Wood, Kent State
Bryan Beckner, Northern Illinois
Adam Coleman, Northern Illinois
John Kremer, Northern Illinois
Ryan Morris, Northern Illinois
Joe Pawlak, Northern Illinois
Jason Schepler, Northern Illinois
Issa Braithwaite, Ohio
Kevin Culver, Ohio
Jordan Thompson, Ohio
Elisha Joseph, Temple
Beau Brudzinski, Toledo
Kevin Kowalski, Toledo
Colin McHugh, Toledo
Malcolm Riley, Toledo
Mark Singer, Toledo
Mike VanDerMeulen, Toledo
Justin Braska, Western Michigan
Andy Dorcely, Western Michigan
Mitch Zajac, Western Michigan
