Football | 12/19/2023 1:41:00 PM
December 19, 2023-The Emporia State football team had eight Hornets named Academic All-District as selected by College Sports Communicators.
Ross Brungardt,
Caden Dodson,
Rafe Goucher,
Declan Haub,
Lavon Jones,
Tyler Kahmann,
Jack Petz and
Tommy Zimmerman were all named CSC Academic All-District for their work in the classroom.
Punter
Ross Brungardt has a 3.67 GPA as a master's student in business administration after graduating with a 3.72 in marketing. He was the MIAA Special Teams Player of the Year and earned First-Team All-MIAA honors for the third time. He led the MIAA and ranked ninth nationally in punting average. He is the ESU career record holder with a 42.1 punting average over 246 career punts. He will be a four-time MIAA Academic Honor Rollmember and three-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete. He earned CSC Academic All-District honors last year as a junior.
Kicker
Caden Dodson has a 3.60 GPA in sports leadership. He was ninth in the MIAA in total points scored with 78 points while his eight made field goals ranked fifth in the association. He is 17 of 19 on field goals and 91 of 96 on PATs in his career.
Defensive lineman
Rafe Goucher has a 3.83 GPA GPA in business. He was named honorable mention All-MIAA for the third straight year. He had 24 total tackles from his interior line position with three tackles for loss and a sack on the season.
Linebacker
Declan Haub has a 3.58 GPA in business. He was hampered by injuries but started nine of 12 games for the Hornets, finishing with 39 tackles, seven tackles for loss, two sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery.
Lavon Jones has a 3.96 GPA in sports leadership. He came on strong at the end of the year, starting the final seven games and finishing with 62 tackles, seven tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
Receiver
Tyler Kahmann has a 3.70 GPA in business. He was named All-American by both the Associated Press and D2 Conference Commissioners Association. A First-Team All-MIAA receiver for the Hornets, Kahmann led the nation in touchdown catches with an Emporia State record 20 this season. He is ranked second in the nation in receptions, fourth in receiving yards, and sixth in scoring, points scored and total touchdowns. He had 101 catches for 1,234 yards on the season. He is the only player in the NCAA at any level to have 100 catches, 1,000 receiving yards and 20 touchdown catches this season. His 34 touchdown catches are an Emporia State career record.
Jack Petz has a 3.63 GPA in health and human performance. He has played running back, S-back and linebacker this year while being a standout on special teams.
Tight end
Tommy Zimmerman has a 3.71 GPA in sports leadership and business. He is a two-time honorable mention All-MIAA performer. He was seventh in the MIAA with seven touchdown receptions this past season.
Brungardt and Kahmann have advanced to the national ballot to be voted on by CSC members. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced Jan. 23, 2024.
The Division II and III CSC Academic All-America® programs are financially supported in part by the NCAA Division II and III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-24 Divisions II and III Academic All-America® programs.
The Hornets were 9-3 on the season and won the Fun Town RV Heritage Bowl in their eighth trip to the postseason in the last 11 seasons. They are set to return ten players on offense and seven on defense that started the Heritage Bowl.
