BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference announced on Wednesday three Southwest Minnesota State University football student-athletes have earned All-NSIC second team accolades as voted upon by the league's 13 head coaches.
Earning All-NSIC postseason honors for the Mustangs include junior running back
Donald Austin, sophomore linebacker
Josiah Hedensten and sophomore cornerback
Jalani Jefferson.
A 6-foot, 220-pound, native of Hartland, Wis., Austin started all 11 games and rushed for 965 yards and eight touchdowns on 212 carries, while also catching 14 passes for 133 yards and one touchdown. He closed the season rushing for more than 100 yards in four games, including a season-high 184 yards on 31 carries with a career-high three touchdowns in a win over Sioux Falls on Nov. 11. The 965 rushing yards ranks as the 10
th highest in team single-season history.
In the final NSIC statistics (10 league games only), Austin ranked fourth in rushing yards per game (90.8) and 12
th in scoring (5.4 per game).
Austin closed the regular season ranking 23
rd in the NCAA national statistics in rushing yards and 29
th in rushing yards per game (87.7).
Austin has played in 24 career games and has amassed 1,615 rushing yards ranking 13
th in team history.
Hedensten, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound, native of Faribault, Minn., started all 11 games and led SMSU with 88 tackles, while ranking second in both tackles for loss (7.5) and sacks (3).
In the final NSIC statistics, Hedensten was fourth in total tackles (80), while in the final regular season NCAA statistics, he ranked 43
rd in total tackles (8.1) and 86
th in solo tackles (4.3).
Jefferson, a 6-foot-2, 185-pound, native of Murrieta, Calif., started every game and ranked fourth on the team with 52 tackles, while leading the squad with four interceptions and also leading the team with seven pass break-ups. His 11 passes defended ended the regular season ranking 49
th in the country.
SMSU finished the season 2-9 under second-year head coach
Scott Underwood.
