Three Bearkats earn Academic All-SLC football honors
12/22/2008 1:00:00 AM | Football
Offensive lineman Jordan Bowersox, linebacker Nolan Bucek and defensive back Jeff Sparks of Sam Houston State have been named to the 2008 Academic All-Southland Conference squad.
The team is selected annually by vote of the league's head soccer coaches, sports information directors and academic coordinators. To be nominated a student-athlete must have minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) through the semester prior to the sports' championship; completed at least one full academic year at the nominating institution prior to the season in which the nomination occurs (true freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible) and participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games .
Bowersox was the starting center for 2008 Bearkat attack that ranked No. 6 nationally in total offense (457.3 yards per game) and No. 4 in passing offense (338.0 yards per game). Bowersox is a junior finance major from Wichita, KS, and holds a 3.77 cumulative grade point average.
Bucek was an All-Southland Conference honorable mention linebacker who ranked No. 6 in the Southland Conference in tackles per game (7.5) this season. He led Sam Houston with 75 tackles (41 solo) including five tackles for losses. Bucek is a four-year letterman with 196 career tackles. A senior from Houston, Bucek holds a 3.02 cumulative grade point average as a marketing major.
Sparks started all 10 games this season at strong safety. He ranked second in the Bearkat defensive secondary with 50 tackles. The Houston product owns a 3.13 cumulative grade point average as a criminal justice major.
Both Bucek and Sparks are two-time Academic All-Southland Conference honorees, also have earned selection to the team as juniors in 2007.
Seven other Bearkat football players received honorable mention as Academic All-Southland nominees. The seven are junior offensive lineman Travis Best of Houston (3.60 GPA as accounting major); senior offensive lineman R. C. Fairchild of The Woodlands (3.30 GPA as marketing major); senior defensive lineman Jon Goree of Marshall (3.20 GPA as kinesiology major); senior defensive tackle Eric Mikolajchak of Houston (3.29 GPA as biology major); senior linebacker/punter Derrick Raymer of Goodland, KS (3.06 GPA as kinesiology major); sophomore safety Randy Stewart of Houston (3.41 GPA as accounting major) and redshirt freshman Travis Watson of Houston (3.47 GPA as business major).
2008 ACADEMIC ALL-SOUTHLAND CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM
| OFFENSE | |||||
| Pos | Name | University | Class | GPA | Major |
| QB | Bradley George | TX St.-San Marcos | Jr | 3.16 | Industrial Technology |
| WR | Dudley Guice | Northwestern St. | Sr | 3.6 | Criminal Justice |
| WR | Adam Varnado | Northwestern St. | Sr | 3.33 | Social Studies Education |
| RB | Blake Burton | TX St.-San Marcos | Sr | 3.43 | Exercise and Sports Science |
| RB | Quinten Goodie | Northwestern St. | Sr | 3.47 | Computer Information Systems |
| TE | Cole Wardell | Southeastern LA | Sr | 3.73 | Business |
| OL | Jordan Bowersox | Sam Houston | Jr | 3.77 | Finance |
| OL | Eman Naghavi | McNeese St. | Sr | 3.23 | Management |
| OL | David Ballard | McNeese St. | Sr | 3.71 | Exercise Science |
| OL | Brad Bardy | Southeastern LA | Sr | 3.44 | Kinesiology |
| OL | Casey Thurber | Central Arkansas | Jr | 3.53 | Chemistry |
| K | Cory Long | Stephen F. Austin | Sr | 3.91 | Finance |
| DEFENSE | |||||
| Pos | Name | University | Class | GPA | Major |
| DL | Tim Knicky | Stephen F. Austin | Jr | 3.36 | Kinesiology |
| DL | Kendall Rodrigue | Northwestern St. | Sr | 3.69 | Accounting |
| DL | Travis Houston | TX St.-San Marcos | Jr | 3.77 | Computer Information Systems |
| DL | Taylor Scott | Central Arkansas | Jr | 3.11 | Marketing |
| LB | Nolan Bucek | Sam Houston | Sr | 3.02 | Marketing |
| LB | Blake Delcambre | Northwestern St. | Sr | 3.03 | General Studies |
| DB | Jeff Sparks | Sam Houston | Sr | 3.13 | Criminal Justice |
| DB | Tommy Connors | Southeastern LA | Jr | 3.03 | General Studies |
| DB | Brant Linde | McNeese St. | Jr | 3.62 | Accounting |
| DB | Will Thompson | TX St.-San Marcos | Jr | 3.02 | Accounting |
| DB | Lance Lacoste | Northwestern St. | Jr. | 3.15 | Health |
| P | Patrick Dolan | Nicholls St. | So | 3.74 | Marketing |
| SHSU HONORABLE MENTION SELECTIONS | |||||
| OL | Travis Best | Jr | 3.60 | Accounting | |
| OL | R. C. Fairchild | Sr | 3.30 | Marketing | |
| DL | Jon Goree | Sr | 3.20 | Kinesiology | |
| DL | Erick Mikolajchak | Sr | 3.29 | Biology | |
| LB | Derrick Raymer | Sr | 3.06 | Kinesiology | |
| DB | Randy Stewart | So | 3.41 | Accounting | |
| OL | Travis Watson | Fr | 3.47 | Business | |
