More than a handful of Wayne State College football players recently collected honors from the classroom.
According to a release from Wayne State Athletics, six student-athletes earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors announced Tuesday.
The award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom, maintaining a minimum grade point average of 3.50 or higher while also playing in 90 percent of games to earn the honor.
Named to the Academic All-District Team were seniors Jett Janssen, Dexter Larsen, Sam Rallis, Alex Schall and Ashten Schmaderer along with sophomore Luke Lambert. Larsen and Schall each are finalists and advance to the All-American ballot with those selections announced on Tuesday, January 28.
Janssen, a 6-4, 280-pound offensive lineman from Lincoln East HS, was named Academic All-District for a third straight season posting a 3.89 grade point average majoring in health and physical education with a minor in coaching. He was named All-NSIC First Team for a third straight season anchoring the Wildcat offensive line. He started every game in his Wildcat career at left tackle, leading an offensive line this season that allowed the third-fewest sacks in the NSIC (13) and was a nominee for the Upshaw Award as the top lineman in NCAA Division II. Last season, he was voted D2CCA All-Super Region 4 Second Team and was named College Sports Communicators Academic All-American Second Team.
Lambert, a 6-2, 270-pound sophomore defensive lineman from Greenwood (Ashland-Greenwood HS), maintained a 3.94 grade point average majoring in construction management. He ranked fifth on the Wildcat defense this season with 43 tackles and had three tackles for loss with one sack and two quarterback hurries.
Larsen, a 5-10, 215-pound senior linebacker, is a three-time Academic All-District honoree recording a 3.87 grade point average majoring in exercise science. This season, Larsen led the Wildcats in tackles for a second straight season with 78 stops, ranking eighth in the NSIC in tackles per game. He had eight tackles for loss with 2.5 sacks and a 20-yard interception return for touchdown at MSU Moorhead.
Rallis, a 6-0, 190-pound senior defensive back from Council Bluffs, Iowa (St. Albert HS), carries a 3.70 grade point average majoring in construction management. He appeared in all 11 games this season on special teams and defensive back and recorded 10 tackles with seven solo stops.
Schall, a 6-2, 215-pound senior linebacker from Kearney (Kearney HS), is a repeat Academic All-District selection maintaining a 3.95 grade point average majoring in biology. He ranked second on the Wildcat defense for a second straight season in tackles with 58. Schall had two forced fumbles, four quarterback hurries and two pass break ups to go with one fumble recovery.
Schmaderer, a 6-1, 195-pound senior wide receiver from Bennington (Bennington HS), is a repeat Academic All-District selection and has a 3.57 grade point average majoring in business management. He appeared in all 11 games this season and ranked third on the team in receiving with 21 catches for 203 yards and one touchdown.
The Wayne State College football team finished the 2024 season with a 7-4 overall record and tied for fifth in the NSIC with a 6-4 league mark.
