Yotes Set Record With 12 Academic All-District Picks

DALLAS, Texas - College of Idaho football players dominated the 2019 NAIA Academic All-District 4 team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America, claiming a record 12 of the 25 positions on the squad.
 
The 12 student-athletes were the most by any school among the 28 all-district teams encompassing the NCAA Division I, II, III and the NAIA – and the most ever by an C of I team.

The players were among those honored for both their work on the field and in the classroom – and selection among NAIA football playing schools in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Washington. All must be at least a sophomore in academic standing, maintain at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average, be a starter or key reserve and be selected by a panel of District 4 sports communications professionals.
 
Three Coyotes earn the honor for a second-straight year – senior running back Dominic Garzoli, senior defensive tackle, Zach White and junior defensive back, David Ford.
 
Nine Yotes earn the distinction for the first time – junior wide receiver Connor Richardson, sophomore tight end Connor Gagain, senior offensive linemen Josh Brown and Gabe Zurita-Haber, senior kicker Kyle Mitchell, senior punter Spencer Lambert, sophomore special teams specialist Canyon Olsen, junior linebacker Graham Carnahan and junior defensive back Josh Elsberry.
 
All 12 will move on to the final ballot of the prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-America team, which will be selected next month.
 
FIRST TEAM
Pos.    Name                                School                                                                  Yr.     GPA            Major
QB       Jon Jund                          University of Montana Western                          Jr.      3.32             Kinesiology
RB       JD Ferris                          University of Montana Western                          Sr.     3.54             Math Education
RB       Dominic Garzoli               College of Idaho                                                  Sr.     3.97             Business
WR      Walker McKitrick              University of Montana Western                          Sr.     3.72             Elementary Education
WR      Connor Richardson        College of Idaho                                                  Sr.     3.58             Health Sciences
TE       Connor Gagain               College of Idaho                                                  Jr.      3.63             Exercise Physiology
OL       Matthew Booth                Wayland Baptist University                                So.    3.49             Business
OL       Josh Brown                      College of Idaho                                                  Sr.     3.41             Business
OL       Jed Heffernan                  University of Montana Western                          Sr.     3.83             Anthropology
OL       Alexander Hoffman          Carroll College                                                    Sr.     3.99             Biochemistry / Molecular Biology
OL       Gabe Zurita-Haber           College of Idaho                                                  Sr.     3.85             Health & Human Performance
K          Kyle Mitchell                    College of Idaho                                                  Sr.     3.58             Health & Human Performance / Business
ST       Canyon Olsen                 College of Idaho                                                  Jr.      3.94             Business
DL       Samuel Daily                   Wayland Baptist University                                So.    4.00             English
DL       Tre Holmes                      Southern Oregon University                              Jr.      3.51             Mathematics
DL       Jasper Smiley                  Oklahoma Panhandle State University             Sr.     3.45             Health & Physical Education
DL       Zach White                       College of Idaho                                                  Sr.     3.61             Business
LB        Graham Carnahan          College of Idaho                                                  Jr.      3.94            Sports Science
LB        Collin Crown                    Southern Oregon University                              Jr.      3.57             Business Management
LB        Jason Ferris                     University of Montana Western                          Sr.     3.52             Business / Natural Horsemanship
DB       Josh Elsberry                   College of Idaho                                                  Jr.      3.75             Education
DB       Brian FauntLeRoy           Carroll College                                                    Sr.     3.91             Health Sciences / Public Health
DB       David Ford                       College of Idaho                                                  Jr.      3.35             Health Sciences
DB       David Garza                     Wayland Baptist University                                Sr.     3.34             Exercise & Sport Science
P          Spencer Lambert              College of Idaho                                                  Sr.     3.64             Education