Alberts extends Central football team’s Academic All-America streak

Central Dutch Athletics

PELLA — With the selection of Jon Alberts (junior, kicker, Huntley, Ill.) to the Google Cloud Academic All-America Division III football team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Wednesday, the Central College football team has now had a player chosen for three consecutive seasons.

Alberts was picked as the first team kicker and is the only American Rivers Conference player on the first team. Wartburg College and Simpson College are both represented on the second team. A business management and philosophy double major, Alberts has a 3.93 GPA.

To be eligible for Academic All-America consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity contributor, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or better and have reached sophomore standing. CoSIDA members first submit ballots for a district team before selected nominees advance for consideration on the national squad.

A first team all-conference kicker in 2017 and 2018, Alberts was also named to the D3football.com All-West Region second team in 2018. He converted 45 of 46 extra point attempts this season while making eight of his nine field goal attempts. He made the longest field goal in Division III this season with a 55-yard effort against Wartburg College

Central student-athletes have earned academic All-America honors 61 times, including 16 times by a member of the football program. In 2017, Kyle Gritsch and Carson Remick were both second team choices as a tight end and special teamer, respectively. Mitchell Boerm was a second team tight end in 2016.

The CoSIDA Division III Academic All-America® program is being financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structure, to assist CoSIDA with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2018-19 Division III Academic All-America® teams program.