WAVERLY, Iowa – The College Sports Communicators (CSC, formerly known as CoSIDA) released its 2023-24 Academic All-America® Division III football team Tuesday, Jan. 23.
Owen Grover was named the Academic All-American of the Year. The Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year honor adds to a crowded trophy case for Grover, who earned the Division III Cliff Harris Award, was named the D3football.com National Defensive Player of the Year and was a finalist for both the Gagliardi Trophy and the National Football Foundation's William V. Campbell Trophy this fall. He was a two-time D3football.com Regional Defensive Player of the Year and two-time American Rivers Conference Defensive Most Valuable Player. The Dyersville, Iowa, native led the Knights to a 13-1 record and the NCAA semifinals for the second-straight season. Grover finished the 2023 season with 113 total tackles (62 solo), 5.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and one interception.
The Academic All-America Teams, selected by the CSC, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. Grover is Wartburg's 129th student-athlete to earn Academic All-America honors.
This marks the second overall Academic All-America honor for Grover, and first Academic All-American of the Year in football program history.
He is the fourth Academic All-American of the Year in Wartburg athletics history:
Dan Nettleton, Men's Basketball 1991
Cari Kinzenbaw, Softball, 2006
Daniel Bonthius, Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, 2015
Owen Grover, Football, 2024
Video from CSC
Complete list of honorees:
CSC Academic All-America® Team Member of the Year: Owen Grover, Wartburg College
FIRST TEAM
Pos. Name School Yr. GPA Major
QB Luke Lehnen North Central College Sr. 3.77 Exercise Science
WR Jake Breitbach Gustavus Adolphus College Sr. 3.78 Computer Science & Economics
WR Charlie Wilson Hamline University Sr. 3.93 Data Analytics & Computer Science
RB Giovanni Weeks (2, &) Wheaton College (Ill.) Sr. 3.64 Business & Economics
RB Nick Hale Randolph-Macon College Sr. 3.71 Business Finance
RB Grant Ripperda Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Sr. 3.78 Computer Science
TE Penn Stoller Wabash College Sr. 3.78 Philosophy, Politics, & Economics
OL Jeske Maples (1) North Central College Jr. 3.94 Health Science
OL Dustin Moss (1) Carnegie Mellon University Sr. 4.00 Mechanical Engineering and Robotics
OL Dylan Page Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Jr. 4.00 Biomedical Engineering
OL Dylan Clem Hope College Sr. 3.95 Civil Engineering
OL Thomas Perry Middlebury College Sr. 3.96 Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
DB Derek Slywka Ithaca College Sr. 3.80 Sports Media
DB Rylie Van Fleet Alfred State College Sr. 3.91 Health Sciences
DB Nate Farm (2) Bethel University Gr. 3.92 Neuroscience (U) / Marriage & Family Therapy (G)
DB Gabe Dunlap Grove City College Sr. 3.71 Entrepreneurship
DL Tomás Kenary Middlebury College Sr. 3.71 Neuroscience
DL Luke Schuermann (2, &) Johns Hopkins University Sr. 3.61 Mechanical Engineering
DL Ryan Bodolus Ursinus College Sr. 3.61 Applied Economics
DL Collin Thompson Concordia-Moorhead Sr. 3.95 Computer Science & Business Management
LB
Owen Grover (1) Wartburg College Sr. 3.99 Biology
LB Robert Coury (1) Carnegie Mellon University Sr. 3.96 Mechanical Engineering
LB BJ Adamchik North Central College Sr. 3.92 Exercise Science
K Lake Barrett (2, &) The College of Wooster Sr. 3.99 Biology & Education
P Cody Harral (1, &) Hardin-Simmons University Gr. 4.00 /4.00 Pre-Med / Physical Therapy
ST James Mautino Aurora University Gr. 3.75 Business Administration (G)
SECOND TEAM
Pos. Name School Yr. GPA Major
QB Tucker Horn Trinity University (Texas) Sr. 3.82 Finance & Accounting
WR Josh Polce Johns Hopkins University Gr. 4.00/3.55 Accounting (UG) / Finance (G)
WR Reed Worth (2) Simpson College Sr. 3.67 Sports Administration
RB Arsen Shtefan Springfield College Sr. 3.57 Sport Management
TE Casey Dufner Howard Payne University Gr. 4.00/4.00 Sport & Wellness Leadership
OL Trevor Gabriele Wheaton College (Ill.) Sr. 3.54 Elementary Education
OL JR Woods (2, &) Johns Hopkins University Gr. 3.53 Economics
OL Vinny LePre Grove City College Sr. 3.66 Exercise Science
OL Matt Wrather John Carroll University Jr. 3.73 Finance
OL Joe Mullin (1) Wabash College Sr. 3.77 English
DB Cameron Bannister Central College Sr. 3.81 Psychology
DB Evan Lischka Concordia Wisconsin Sr. 3.77 Environmental Studies
DB Drew Thornton Ohio Wesleyan University Sr. 3.88 Exercise Science
DB Ernesto Ramirez Aurora University Sr. 3.65 Exercise Science & Psychology
DL Nico Golla Pacific Lutheran University Sr. 3.79 Business
DL Bricker Thiel (1, *) John Carroll University Sr. 3.96 Finance
DL Michael Carey Carleton College Sr. 3.85 Chemistry
DL Dawson Dietz Washington & Jefferson College Jr. 3.71 Business Administration
LB Mason McMillen (2) University of Mount Union Sr. 3.75 Marketing
LB Tucker Buzzell Husson University Sr. 3.79 Sport Management
LB Thomas Coury (2) Carnegie Mellon University Sr. 3.93 Mechanical Engineering
K Michael Stack University of Wisconsin-La Crosse So. 3.65 Exercise Sport Science
P Cameron Shirangi Pomona-Pitzer Sr. 3.67 Economics
ST James Bloomfield Albion College Sr. 3.93 Social Studies / Secondary Education
(1) – Academic All-America® first-team selection in 2022
(2) – Academic All-America® second-team selection in 2022
(&) – Academic All-America® first-team selection in 2021
(*) – Academic All-America® second-team selection in 2021
