ST. LOUIS -- Forty-three student-athletes, including 12 who earned first-team honors, highlight the 2009 all-Missouri Valley Football Conference all-academic team, announced by the league office today.

 Nominees must be starters or important reserves with at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average (4.0 scale).  Student-athletes must have reached sophomore academic and athletic standing at their institutions (freshmen are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at their institution.  League sports information directors voted on the team by designating 11 players for first-team honors and 11 players for second-team honors.

2009 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Academic Team
(voting by league SIDs)

FIRST TEAM
WR Joe Allaria, Southern Illinois	6-2	Jr.	195	3.75 Marketing	Edwardsville (Ill.) High
OL David Arkin, Missouri State	6-5	Jr.	298	3.70 Construction Management	Wichita (Kan.) Kapaun High
QB Matt Barr, Western Illinois	6-2	Jr.	210	3.84 Accounting	Belvidere (Ill.) High
PK Stephen Blose, Youngstown State	5-10	Jr.	190	4.00 Middle Childhood Education	Erie (Pa.) Harbor Creek High
RB Tyler Duffy, South Dakota State	5-10	Jr.	210	4.00 Electrical Engineering	Brookings (S.D.) High
WR Jared Emery, Missouri State	6-3	Sr.	192	3.74 Microbiology / Biotechnology	Mountain Grove (Mo.) High
LB Kyle Glazier, Western Illinois	6-1	Jr.	220	3.86 Law Enforcement	Geneseo (Ill.) High
TE Ryan Kernes, Southern Illinois	6-3	Sr.	235	4.00 Civil Engineering	Bloomington (Ill.) High
#DB Conrad Kjerstad, S. Dakota St.	6-0	Jr.	200	3.93 Agricultural Business	Wall (S.D.) High
^LB Josh Mahoney, UNI	6-1	Sr.	228	4.00 Economics	Sioux Falls (S.D.) O'Gorman High
^RB Kyle Minett, South Dakota State	5-10	Jr.	215	3.60 Economics	Ruthton (Minn.) R-T-R High
LB Ryan Patton, Southern Illinois	6-1	Sr.	220	4.00 Business Administration	West Frankfort (Ill.) High
SECOND TEAM
SS Kyle Belmont, North Dakota State	5-10	196	Gr.	3.70 MBA (Psychology undergrad)	Battle Lake (Minn.) Public High
DL Ben Boothby, UNI	6-0	253	So.	3.81 Exercise Science	Clinton (Iowa) High
DL Eric Brunner, Illinois State	6-2	270	So.	3.55  Finance	Greendale (Wis.) High
DE Chance Coda, Southern Illinois	6-4	240	So.	4.00 Accounting	Grand Rapids (Mich.) Catholic Central
LB Chris Johnson, S. Dakota State	6-2	240	Sr.	3.49 Economics	Council Bluffs (Iowa) Abraham Lincoln
#FS Mike McElroy, Southern Illinois	6-1	205	Jr.	3.73 Health Education	Lowell (Mich.) High
TE Ryan Mahaffey, UNI	6-4	248	Jr.	3.69 Economics	Grinnell (Iowa) High
OL Brian Mellott, Youngstown State	6-3	280	Sr.	3.90 Accounting	Austintown (Ohio) Austintown Fitch High
QB Nick Mertens, North Dakota State	6-1	222	Sr.	3.79 Management / Marketing	East Grand Forks (Minn.) High
#DL Dan Millington, Indiana State	6-2	260	Sr.	3.38 Exercise Science	Terre Haute (Ind.) North Vigo High
P Gabe Mullane, Indiana State	6-2	180	Sr.	3.91 Exercise Science	Massalin (Ohio) Jackson High
OT David Pickard, Southern Illinois	6-5	290	So.	4.00 Political Science	Oak Park (Ill.) High

^ - ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Selections (1st Team); # - ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Selections (2nd Team)

HONORABLE MENTION
Illinois State:  RB Cliffton Gordon
Indiana State:  S Alex Sewall
Missouri State:  P Jordan Chiles, PK Matt Hottelman, DB Skylar Smith
North Dakota State:  LS Jeff Curtis
South Dakota State:  LB Derek Domino, WR Matt Hylland, WR Brad Iverson, OL Casey Knips, P Dean Priddy, LB Jimmy Rogers
Southern Illinois:  NT Tony Colletti, DE Jason Seaman
Western Illinois:  WR Myers Hendrickson, FB Rick Richardson
Youngstown State:  QB Marc Kanetsky, P Ben Nowicki, WR Aaron Pitts