MIAC Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Thirty-four Saint John's University football student-athletes received 2021 Fall Academic All-MIAC recognition on Wednesday, Jan. 19.

Those honored (listed alphabetically) include: 

-Senior defensive back Colton Arne (Littleton, Colo./Chatfield), a biology major with a 3.70 GPA; 
-Sophomore wide receiver Sanders Asplin (Dassel, Minn./Dassel-Cokato), an accounting major with a 4.0 GPA; 
-Senior quarterback Chris Backes (St. Cloud, Minn./Tech), an economics major with a 3.98 GPA; 
-Junior defensive lineman Jonah Becken (Hudson, Wis.), a physics major with a 3.91 GPA; 
-Sophomore linebacker Jack Bjork (Mahtomedi, Minn.), an economics and mathematics double-major with a 3.88 GPA; 
-Sophomore defensive back Mateo Cisneros (Shoreview, Minn./Mounds View), a biology major with a 3.95 GPA; 
-Senior defensive back Tommy Deters (Maple Plain, Minn./Orono), a global business leadership major with a 3.63 GPA; 
-Senior offensive lineman Jarod Fike (White Bear Lake, Minn.), a communication and English double-major with a 3.63 GPA; 
-Senior defensive lineman Collin Franz (Otsego, Minn./Rogers), a Hispanic studies major with a 3.81 GPA; 
-Senior linebacker Mitch Gerlach (Cloquet, Minn.), an accounting major with a 3.86 GPA; 
-Sophomore linebacker Andrew Hamilton (Eagle River, Alaska), a mathematics major with a 3.72 GPA; 
-Junior defensive lineman Nick Harris (Big Lake, Minn.), an exercise and health science major with a 3.82 GPA; 
-Sophomore linebacker Logan Hennen (Prior Lake, Minn.), an accounting major with a 3.84 GPA; 
-Senior running back Carter Huberty (Avon, Minn./Albany), a computer science major with a 3.69 GPA; 
-Sophomore linebacker Brock Humbert (Cold Spring, Minn./Rocori), a global business leadership major with a 3.72 GPA; 
-Senior linebacker Ethan Hylla (Holdingford, Minn./Albany), an economics major with a 3.51 GPA; 
-Junior offensive lineman Joe Jaeger (Lakeville, Minn./North), an applied physics major with a 3.54 GPA; 
-Sophomore wide receiver Todd Jager (St. Bonifacius, Minn./Waconia), an exercise and health science major with a 3.88 GPA; 
-Senior offensive lineman Tyler Johnson (Willmar, Minn.), a mathematics major with a 3.98 GPA; 
-Senior tight end Joe Lang (New Berlin, Wis./Eisenhower), an accounting major with a 3.72 GPA; 
-Junior linebacker Ben Lechtenberg (Minneapolis, Minn./Providence Academy), a biology major with a 3.96 GPA; 
-Junior linebacker Sam Lewison (Apple Valley, Minn./Eastview), a biochemistry major (pre-physician's assistant emphasis) with a 3.94 GPA; 
-Sophomore defensive back Hillary Makori (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson), an exercise and health science major (pre-physician's assistant emphasis) with a 3.59 GPA; 
-Senior wide receiver Matt Mohr (Chisago City, Minn./Chisago Lakes), a global business leadership major with a 3.70 GPA; 
-Junior linebacker Chad Mrachek (Orono, Minn.), a communication and global business leadership double-major with a 3.53 GPA; 
-Sophomore linebacker Ted Muetzel (Oakdale, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall), an accounting major with a 3.65 GPA; 
-Senior offensive lineman Cameron Murphy (Willmar, Minn.), a global business leadership major with a 3.73 GPA; 
-Junior linebacker Andrew Peine (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes), a social science major with a 3.51 GPA; 
-Sophomore defensive back Jaden Ponto (Mora, Minn.), a global business leadership major with a 3.60 GPA; 
-Junior linebacker Josh Sletta (Madelia, Minn.), a nutrition major with a 3.72 GPA; 
-Senior running back Henry Trost (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes), a global business leadership major with a 3.89 GPA; 
-Sophomore defensive back Jaymeson Ungar (Shakopee, Minn.), an accounting and mathematics double-major with a 3.67 GPA; 
-Junior defensive lineman Sam Willmott (Rosemount, Minn.), a global business leadership major with a 3.65 GPA; 
-Junior defensive lineman Michael Wozniak (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong), an accounting major with a 3.85 GPA.

In order to qualify for MIAC Academic All-Conference recognition, student-athletes must be a sophomore, junior or senior with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Transfers must have completed one academic year (full-time) at the institution prior to becoming eligible the following year.

Athletically, student-athletes must be a member of a MIAC-sponsored varsity team, utilize a season of participation (per NCAA and MIAC definitions) and have remained on the sports roster through the conclusion of the sport's season. The MIAC moved away from athletic-specific requirements (i.e. participate in 50 percent of the games, finish in the top 100 at the MIAC Championships, etc.) beginning with the 2021-22 academic year.

For the fourth time in the last seven academic years (and the second consecutive), SJU led the MIAC in male honorees with 59.

The Academic All-MIAC distinction is the fourth consecutive for Backes, Fike and Franz, and the third for Johnson, Lang, Mohr, Murphy and Trost. 

Johnson was named a College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-American for the second consecutive season in 2021 and was joined by Trost and Wozniak. The trio, with Deters and Franz, received CoSIDA Academic All-District distinction. 

The Johnnies have now had 20 football Academic All-Americans in the last 18 seasons (34 overall) and 51 Academic All-District selections over the last 17 years.

Cisneros earned the MIAC Elite 22 Award, which is presented to the individual with the highest GPA among the conference's top two teams in the final standings.

SJU (11-1, 8-0 MIAC) won its MIAC-record 35th conference title and made its 31st postseason appearance (27th in Division III) this fall. The Johnnies were ranked No. 8 in the final national polls.