Ripley, Sjoquist Named Second-Team Football CoSIDA Academic All-Americans

From Sports Information Director, November 23, 2010 | Football
by Dan Lukes, dan.lukes@snc.edu, (920) 403-4077

DE PERE - St. Norbert College senior defensive lineman Kyle Ripley and junior defensive back Dan Sjoquist have been named to the second team of the 2010 College Division Academic All-America football team as sponsored by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and ESPN.

Ripley, a senior from Pulaski and a Pulaski High School graduate, holds a 3.79 grade point average with a major in business administration. Ripley, a first-team All-MWC pick this season, finished the year with 37 tackles including 5.5 tackles-for-loss, two quarterback sacks and one fumble recovered for a touchdown. Ripley, a three-team Academic All-Midwest Conference selection, was an honorable mention All-MWC choice on the defensive line in 2009.

Sjoquist, a junior from Kingsford, Mich., and a Kingsford High School graduate, owns a 3.88 grade point average while majoring in biology. Sjoquist, a first-team All-MWC choice this year, was tied for second on the team in tackles with 58, including 5.5 for a loss, and had four interceptions. Sjoquist finished with three blocked kicks and led the team in kickoff return average at 20.0 yards per return.

St. Norbert finished the 2010 season at 7-4 overall and won the outright Midwest Conference championship with a 7-2 record.

The Academic All-America honors are Ripley's and Sjoquist's first. The duo pushes St. Norbert football's total Academic All-America selections to 10.

The honors mark the 45th time a St. Norbert College student-athlete has received Academic All-America mention. St. Norbert's 45 Academic All-Americans are the most among Midwest Conference member schools.

To be eligible for national or regional selection, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.0, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at his current institution and be nominated by his sports information director. The Academic All-America team is selected after All-District teams are picked from eight geographic regions nationally.