MARSHALL, Minn. — Southwest Minnesota State University senior football players Davontay Stevens and Donovan Woods have both been named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 3 team on Thursday. The announcement was made by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) and recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
 
District 3 is made up of member schools from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC), the Mid-America Athletic Association (MIAA), and the Great American Conference (GAC).
 
Stevens is one of just two running backs, while Woods is one of just four defensive backs named to the 25-member team.
 
Stevens, native of Jacksonville, Fla., carries a 3.65 cumulative GPA in sports management and recreation. This season, Stevens leads SMSU in rushing with 795 yards and eight touchdowns on 183 attempts. He also has 14 receptions for 184 yards and two touchdowns. He currently ranks fourth in the NSIC in rushing yards per game (88.3).
 
Woods, a native of Belleville, Wis., has a GPA of 3.75 in political science and business management. He has started all nine games and ranks fifth on the team with 46 tackles, including 2.5 for loss. He leads SMSU with nine pass break-ups and has one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
 
Stevens and Woods both will advance to the Academic All-America ballot, where first, second and third team All-Academic honorees will be selected next month.
 
Nominations and voting for the Academic All-America programs are conducted by members of CoSIDA.
 
To be nominated for all-district honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or an important reserve with at least a 3.30 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) at his/her institution.
 
SMSU (6-3) continues action on the road this Saturday taking on Concordia-St. Paul starting at 12 p.m.
 
Southwest Minnesota State, located in Marshall, is a member of NCAA Division II and competes in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

NCAA DIVISION II (Super Region 3)
FIRST TEAM
Pos.  Name                         School                                  Yr.     Hometown                   GPA   Major
QB     Luke Papilion               SIOUX FALLS                         Jr.     Denver, Colo.               3.80   Business administration
WR    Chase Krivashei          HUMBOLDT STATE                  Jr.     Corona, Calif.               3.63   Kinesiology
WR    Jameson Parsons        ST. CLOUD STATE                  Jr.     Eagan, Minn.                 3.67   Biomedical sciences
WR    Brady Rose                SIOUX FALLS                         Jr.     Cumberland, Wis.          3.81   Business administration
TE     Justin Schanbacher      NW OKLAHOMA STATE           Sr.     Cherokee, Okla.            3.83   Education
RB     Davontay Stevens      SW MINNESOTA STATE           Sr.     Jacksonville, Fla.          3.65   Sports management & recreation
RB     Connor Thomas           MINNESOTA ST., MANKATO     Sr.     Chicago, Ill.                  3.79   Exercise science
OL     Landon Chappell          CENTRAL OKLAHOMA             Sr.     Newcastle, Okla.           3.82   Kinesiology
OL     John Miller                  SOUTHERN ARKANSAS          Sr.     DeQueen, Ark.              3.80   Engineering / physics
OL     Cole Parker                 CONCORDIA-ST. PAUL           Sr.     Brookfield, Wis.            3.95   Psychology / criminal justice
OL     Kaleb Prough               SW OKLAHOMA STATE            So.    Edmond, Okla.              3.95   Engineering physics
OL     Leonard Wester           MISSOURI WESTERN STATE   Sr.     Mt. Union, Iowa             3.84   Finance & accounting
K       Carter McCauley         WINONA STATE                      So.    Owatonna, Minn.            4.00   Biochemistry
DB     Cameron Nix               SW OKLAHOMA STATE            Jr.     Carnegie, Okla.             4.00   Biology
DB     Justin Otto                  MINNESOTA ST., MANKATO     Sr.     Kenosha, Wis.              3.86   Biomedical science
DB     John Tidwell                SIOUX FALLS                         Sr.     Aurora, Colo.                3.73   Public accountancy
DB     Donovan Woods          SW MINNESOTA STATE           Sr.     Belleville, Wis.              3.75   Political science business mgmt.
LB     Tyke Kozeal                NEBRASKA-KEARNEY            Jr.     Sargent, Neb.               3.74   Health & P.E. K-12
LB     Austin Miller                CENTRAL MISSOURI              So.    Parkville, Mo.                4.00   Finance
LB     Taylor Mitchell             HUMBOLDT STATE                  Sr.     North Bend, Wash.        3.90   Business administration
DL     Kimes Gilbert              OKLAHOMA BAPTIST               Sr.     Oklahoma City, Okla.    3.71   Mathematics education
DL     Jeffrey Raymond        MINNESOTA ST., MANKATO     Sr.     Edgar, Wis.                  3.90   Philosophy, politics & economics
DL     Drew Selvestra            MINNESOTA, CROOKSTON     Sr.     Eagan, Minn.                 3.65   Criminal justice
DL     Cordell Zalenski           HARDING                              Jr.     Durant, Okla.                3.61   Accounting
P       Nate Skare                 UPPER IOWA                         So.    Spring Valley, Minn.       4.00   Exercise science