FREELAND, Mich. – Three student-athletes representing the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association on the football field were recognized Tuesday for their success both in competition and in the classroom with the release of the College Sports Information Directors of America's Academic All-America teams for NCAA Division III football.

Highlighting the honorees is Olivet's Ryan Anderson, a senior punter that was voted the CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year. Joining Anderson on the first team were teammate Travis Lankerd, a senior tight end, and Albion's senior center Andrew DiFranco.

Anderson's honor marks the first time an MIAA student-athlete was selected as Academic All-American of the Year for football. It is the first time since 2009 three MIAA football players garnered Academic All-America accolades, and the first time three players were first team selections. Seven times previous the MIAA has had three or more Academic All-Americans in one season (1980, 1986, 1993, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2009); in 1996, five MIAA football student-athletes received Academic All-America accolades from CoSIDA.

Student-athletes must have sophomore academic standing at their institutions and have a cumulative grade-point average at 3.30 or higher and been a first-team academic all-district selection to move onto the national ballot.


CoSIDA Division III Football Academic All-America release (pdf)

MIAA Student-Athletes Honored by CoSIDA

Albion: Andrew DiFranco - story link

Olivet: Ryan Anderson, Travis Lankerd - story link 

Additional information provided by CoSIDA.

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