November 13, 2003

Football Players Earn Academic Honors

Two Defensive Starters Tabbed

             Kearney, NE – Nebraska-Kearney junior defensive end Ross Gardner (Wakefield) and sophomore nose guard Brad Bohn (Ravenna) have each been named to the CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America) College Division Academic All-District VII team. 

            Bohn, carrying a 3.97 GPA as a pre-medicine major, is on the first-team and will move onto the national ballot where he could earn Academic All-American honors. Gardner, holding a .376 GPA as a business administration major, earned second-team honors. This is the first time either has earned All-District honors. Three Lopers earned the honors last fall.

            Bohn missed three games this year with various injuries. He finished the season with 25 tackles, including three for loss. He came into the year as the Lopers most experienced interior defensive lineman after making 23 tackles as a part time starter in 2002.

            Gardner missed the last three games with a knee injury but still was among the team leaders in tackles for loss (nine) and sacks (2.5). The first year starter had 26 tackles and one fumble recovery in seven games played

            Thirty-seven institutions, representing NCAA Divisions II and II and the NAIA, nominated 122 student-athletes for the All-District VII ballot. Sports information directors from within the district then selected 48 student-athletes (24 first-team, 24 second-team) to the all-district team. Seven states – Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado, South Dakota and North Dakota – make up District VII.

            Bohn and Gardner were two of the 10 RMAC players to make the team.