Hilltoppers’ McDonald Named Academic All-District

Hilltoppers’ McDonald Named Academic All-District

WEST LIBERTY, W.Va. – West Liberty University senior linebacker Clay McDonald has been honored as a first-team NCAA Division II Academic All-District® selection for the 2021 season.

   Selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA), the 2021 Academic All-District® Teams recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their impressive accomplishments on the field and in the classroom.

   The 6-3, 235-pound standout from Valley Grove, W.Va. closed out his stellar Hilltopper athletic and academic career in impressive fashion during the abbreviated spring season.

   McDonald was the College of Business banner carrier at commencement after graduating with the highest GPA in the College. Voted the 2019 and 2020 Outstanding Management Student at West Liberty, he is currently maintaining a perfect 4.00 grade-point average in his graduate studies while working toward his Master’s in Business Administration at West Liberty.

   A team captain with the WLU football squad, McDonald earned All-Mountain East Conference honors for the second straight season. He started all four games and ranked second on the team with 25 tackles, highlighted by a program-high 11 stops against Wheeling.

   The 2021 Academic All-District® squad includes student-athletes from all four Super Region One conferences – the Mountain East Conference (MEC), Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), Northeast-10 (NE-10) and Great Midwest Athletic Conference (G-MAC).

   As a first-team Academic All-District® selection, McDonald is now a candidate for the 2021 NCAA Division II Academic All-America® Football Team. Academic All-America® balloting gets under way later this month.

FOOTBALL

CoSIDA 2021 ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM

NCAA Division II

Super Region One

OFFENSE

Pos Player                                     School                               Yr             GPA                  Academic Major

QB   Evan Ernst                              Ohio Dominican              Sr.            4.00                  Finance

RB   Andrew Brazicki                   Bentley                             Sr.            3.70                  Corporate Finance/Accounting

WR  Henry Litwin                          Slippery Rock                   Gr.            3.66/4.00        Safety Management (UG)/MBA (G)

WR  Konnor Maloney                  Hillsdale                            Sr.            3.68                  Exercise Science

TE    Jordan Smith                         Gannon                             Sr.            4.00                  Biomedical Engineering

OL   Eric Hudanick                        California (Pa.)                 Gr.            3.51/3.77        Business Administration

OL   Derek Ivey                             Stonehill                           Sr.            3.94                  Economics

OL   Cole Johnson                         Hillsdale                            Sr.            3.81                  Financial Management

OL   Jack Kennedy                         Bentley                             Sr.            3.36                  Management

OL   Austin Wayt                          Slippery Rock                   Gr.            3.50/4.00        Safety Management (UG)/MBA (G)

K      Tanner Harding                    Notre Dame (Ohio)         Sr.            3.91                  Psychology

DEFENSE

Pos Player                                     School                               Yr             GPA                  Academic Major

DL   Alexander Findura                Bloomsburg                     Sr.            3.59                  Business Management

DL   Adam Popielarcheck           Stonehill                           Sr.            3.44                  Criminology

DL   Ricky Robinson                     Shepherd                         Gr.            3.88/4.00        Business Administration (UG)/MBA (G)

DL   JT Turner                                Concord                            Sr.            3.94                  Business Administration

LB    CLAY McDONALD                WEST LIBERTY                 GR.          3.84/4.00        BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (UG)/MBA (G)

LB    Trysten McDonald               Slippery Rock                   Gr.            3.56                  Mathematics

LB    Nathan Moore                      Notre Dame (Ohio)         Jr.             3.96                  Management

DB   Alexander Anschutz             Hillsdale                            Sr.            3.84                  Biochemistry

DB   John Merica                          W.Va. Wesleyan             Jr.             3.76                  Accounting

DB   Trey Paul                                Shippensburg                  Sr.            3.75                  Finance

DB   Rich White III                        Wheeling                          Jr.             3.62                  Business Management

P      Jed Quackenbush                 Ohio Dominican              Sr.            3.44                  Exercise Science

ST    Max Drinon                           Bentley                             Sr.            3.56                  Supply Chain Management