Wednesday, November 30, 2016
by Cody Bush, PFL Media Relations
SAINT LOUIS, Mo.– Dayton redshirt senior linebacker Christopher Beaschler earned his second consecutive Pioneer Football League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, leading a group of 53 student-athletes named to the 24th annual Academic All-PFL Teams, as selected by the league’s sports information directors.
Beaschler, of Ada, Ohio, is a mechanical engineering major who has amassed a 3.73 grade-point average during his Dayton career. In addition to being named the league’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year, he earned his third consecutive First-Team Academic All-PFL selection, becoming only the 37th student-athlete to accomplish that feat in the award’s 24 seasons.
Nationally, Beaschler was named to the 2016 CoSIDA Academic All-District Teams™ in October, less than a year after being named to that organization’s 2015 Academic All-America Teams©. Beaschler is a four-time Academic All-PFL selection and a four-time member of the league’s academic honor roll.
In addition to those honors, Beaschler is one of 16 finalists for the 2016 National Football Foundation’s William V. Campbell Trophy. The trophy, sometimes referred to as “the Academic Heisman,” recognizes an individual as the top football scholar-athlete in the nation.
On the field, Beaschler has been Dayton’s leading tackler for each of the last three seasons, including his team best 88 tackles this season. He ranks fifth among FCS active career leaders in total tackles (384) and is third in solo tackles (11). This season, Beaschler also had 56 solo tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and three sacks.
In addition, 10 student-athletes appear as first-team honorees for a second consecutive year: Butler’s Sean Horan; the Dayton quartet of Jack Crain, Alex Jeske, Jimmy Vogel and Tucker Yinger; Drake’s Keegan Gallery; the San Diego duo of Devyn Bryant and Max Michaels; Stetson’s Davion Belk and Valparaiso’s Brian Lang.
The Academic All-PFL teams are a complement to the Capital One Academic All-America® program presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America. Thirteen PFL student-athletes were named to their respective Capital One Academic All-District Teams® this fall. The 2016 Capital One Academic All-America Teams® will be announced Thursday.
Pioneer Football League athletic directors established the Academic All-PFL squads in 1993 as a way to recognize the league’s outstanding student-athletes. To be eligible for Academic All-PFL consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00 and reached their second season both athletically and academically at his current institution.
2016 Academic All-Pioneer Football League First Team |
(as selected by PFL sports information directors) |
Student-Athlete |
School |
Class. |
Pos |
GPA |
Major (Minor) |
OFFENSE |
Cord Collier |
Butler |
Jr. |
TE |
3.90 |
Finance And Management Information Systems |
Danny Cotter (2) |
Butler |
Sr. |
WR |
3.71 |
Chemistry |
Lawrence Dickens |
Marist |
Jr. |
WR |
3.49 |
Business Administration: Finance |
Keegan Gallery (1) |
Drake |
Sr.. |
WR |
3.64 |
International Business |
Alex Jeske (1) |
Dayton |
Jr. |
QB |
3.82 |
Finance |
Brian Lang (1) |
Valparaiso |
RJr. |
OL |
3.89 |
Accounting |
Anthony Lawrence |
San Diego |
So. |
QB |
3.59 |
Accountancy |
Aaron Melton |
Drake |
RSr. |
OL |
3.46 |
Marketing/Informational Systems |
Jake Raymond |
Morehead State |
Sr. |
SLOT |
3.35 |
Engineering Technology |
Brian Stryffeler |
Campbell |
RJr. |
OL |
3.90 |
Exercise & Sports Science |
Jimmy Vogel (1) |
Dayton |
Sr. |
OT |
3.50 |
Mechanical Engineering |
Tucker Yinger (1) |
Dayton |
Jr. |
RB |
3.83 |
Mechanical Engineering |
DEFENSE |
Christopher Beaschler (3, 1) |
Dayton |
Sr. |
LB |
3.73 |
Mechanical Engineering |
Davion Belk (1) |
Stetson |
Sr. |
DT |
3.34 |
Marketing |
Colt Briggs (2) |
Morehead State |
RJr. |
DL |
3.77 |
Biomedical Science |
Devyn Bryant (1) |
San Diego |
Sr. |
DB |
3.54 |
Mechanical Engineering |
Nathan Clayberg |
Drake |
Jr. |
DL |
4.00 |
Accounting/Finance |
Jack Crain (1) |
Dayton |
Sr. |
LB |
3.89 |
Accounting |
Tanner Evans |
Drake |
Sr. |
DL |
3.84 |
Finance/Politics |
Sean Horan (1) |
Butler |
Sr. |
LB |
3.93 |
Economics & Mechanical Engineering |
David Leisring |
Dayton |
So. |
S |
3.94 |
Finance (Accounting) |
Max Michaels (1) |
San Diego |
Jr. |
DB |
3.93 |
Accountancy |
Alec Moreno (2) |
San Diego |
Jr. |
LB |
3.67 |
Accountancy |
SPECIAL TEAMS |
Chris Apicella |
Marist |
Jr. |
LS |
3.82 |
Business Administration: Finance & Economics |
Mike Maccarone (2) |
Marist |
Sr. |
K/P |
3.58 |
Business Administration: Finance |
Willliam Will |
Dayton |
Sr. |
K |
3.32 |
Finance |
Notes in parentheses: 3x – player is a three-time first-team Academic All-PFL selection; 1-was a first-team selection in 2015; 2-was a second-team selection in 2015. |
2016 Academic All-Pioneer Football League Second Team |
Student-Athlete |
School |
Class |
Pos. |
GPA |
Major (Minor) |
OFFENSE |
Gaven Defilippo |
Stetson |
So. |
QB |
3.76 |
Sport Business/Marketing |
Michael Demos |
Butler |
Sr. |
OL |
3.37 |
Criminology And Sociology |
Colby Dunn |
Drake |
Sr.. |
OL |
3.47 |
Pharmacy |
Wes Hegemann |
Dayton |
Jr. |
OG |
3.58 |
Marketing |
Duvante Lane |
Butler |
Jr. |
RB |
3.47 |
Middle & Secondary Education |
Grant Menard |
Drake |
Sr.. |
WR |
3.63 |
Marketing |
Jarrett Morgan |
Valparaiso |
Jr. |
RB |
3.33 |
Sport Management |
Ian Palin |
Dayton |
Sr. |
TE |
3.52 |
Entrepreneurship |
Justin Priest |
San Diego |
JR. |
WR |
3.39 |
Finance |
Jared Ruffing |
Dayton |
Jr. |
RB |
3.46 |
Electrical Engineering |
Pace Temple |
Butler |
So. |
WR |
3.41 |
Marketing |
DEFENSE |
Chad Burdo |
Butler |
Jr. |
DT |
3.85 |
Finance |
Mike Cerone |
Butler |
Sr. |
DB |
3.60 |
Finance & Risk Management |
Taylor Coleman |
Drake |
Sr. |
LB |
3.76 |
Finance |
Cameron Gibson |
Marist |
Sr. |
CB |
3.36 |
Communication: Sports Communication & Public Relations |
Mike Gray |
Dayton |
Sr. |
DE |
3.32 |
Chemical Engineering |
Chris Hagan |
Dayton |
Sr. |
S |
3.51 |
Applied Mathematical Economics |
Scott Miller |
Campbell |
RJr. |
LB |
3.44 |
Exercise & Sports Science |
Isaak Newhouse |
Butler |
Jr. |
DB/RS |
3.50 |
Accounting |
Connor Spencer |
San Diego |
So. |
DL |
3.68 |
Electrical Engineering |
Nick Surges |
Dayton |
Jr. |
DE |
3.30 |
Business |
Terry Wallen |
Drake |
Jr. |
DB |
3.61 |
Finance |
SPECIAL TEAMS |
Mitchell Brown |
Campbell |
Jr. |
K |
3.70 |
Biology (Pre-Med) |
John Cook |
Davidson |
Sr. |
P/RB |
3.39 |
Biology |
Pat Disalvio |
Morehead State |
Sr. |
K/P |
3.83 |
Biomedical Science |
Isaak Newhouse |
Butler |
Jr. |
DB/RS |
3.50 |
Accounting |
Jake Simpson |
Valparaiso |
Jr. |
K |
3.35 |
Psychology |