LAKE CHARLES – The McNeese Cowboy football team landed four players on the 2022 Southland Conference All-Academic Team, the league has announced.
 
Those being recognized were offensive lineman Calvin Barkat, long snapper Trey Vondenstein, defensive lineman Mason Kinsey and linebacker Kordell Williams.
 
Barkat was named to the squad for the second straight season after posting a 3.59 GPA in Health & Human Performance-Pre Chiropractic. The outgoing senior from Sachse, Texas was a first team All-SLC performer this past season and also earned District All-Academic honors by the College Sports Communicators, formerly CoSIDA.
 
He started all 11 games for the Cowboys and was a key part of the Cowboys successful running game this season that led to Deonta McMahon rushing for over 1,000 yards. He ended his collegiate career making 29 consecutive starts.
 
Williams is a repeat selection on the All-Academic team after posting a 3.0 GPA while working towards is Master's Degree in Criminal Justice.
 
A Carencro native and finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in the FCS, Williams led the Cowboys and ranked second in the conference with 108 total tackles and a 10.8 tackles per game average and ended his career with 328 total tackles to rank him eighth on the school's all-time list.
 
Vondenstein posted a 4.0 GPA in H&HP-Health Promotions.
 
The Katy, Texas native was named to the CSC District All-Academic Team this past season. He appeared in all 11 games as the long snapper for field goals, extra-points and punts.
 
Kinsey garnered his first All-Academic award after finishing with a 3.25 GPA while working towards his Master's in Criminal Justice.
 
A native of Mansfield, Texas, Kinsey earned All-Conference and All-Louisiana honors in his three seasons with the Cowboys where he finished with 143 tackles, 12 sacks and 24.5 tackles for a loss in his career.
 
UIW linebacker Kelechi Anyalebechi was named the league's Football Student-Athlete of the Year.
 
The team was voted upon by the head coach, sports information director, and an academic/compliance staff member from each school. To be eligible for all-academic distinction, an athlete must hold a minimum 3.00 cumulative GPA through the semester prior to the sport's championship, completed at least one full academic year at the school prior to the current season, and participated in at least 50 percent of the team's competitions during the most recently completed season.
 
First team all-conference selections who meet the qualifications are automatically selected to the team, as well as College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections.
 
2022 Southland Football All-Academic Team
QB – Zach Clement, NSU, 3.75, Biology
RB – Marcus Cooper, UIW, 3.13, MS Sports Management
RB – Collin Guggenheim, Nicholls, 3.22, Human Performance Education
TE – Ivan Drobocky, SLU, 3.54, Supply Chain Management
WR – Darion Chafin, UIW, 3.50, MS Sport Management
WR – Taylor Grimes, UIW, 3.50, Cultural Studies
WR – Nick Kovacs, SLU, 3.82, General Studies
OL – Calvin Barkat, McNeese, 3.59, H&HP Pre Chiropractic
OL – John Allen, SLU, 3.00, Strategic Communications
OL – Reid Francis, UIW, 3.99, Engineering
OL – Caleb Johnson, UIW, 3.12, Engineering Physics
OL – Dom Serapiglia III, SLU, 3.57, Supply Chain Management
OL – Trey Vondenstein, McNeese, 4.00, H&HP Health Promotions
PK – Carson Mohr, UIW, 3.84, Psychology
P – Austin Dunlap, SLU, 3.47, Business Administration
DL – Mason Kinsey, McNeese, 3.25, Masters in Criminal Justice
DL – Garrett Crawford, SLU, 3.55, Computer Science
DL – Clifford Funderburk, TAMUC, 3.79, Business Administration
DL – Perry Ganci, Nicholls, 3.12 Business Administration
LB – Kordell Williams, McNeese, 3.00, Masters in Criminal Justice
LB – Kelechi Anyalabechi, UIW, 4.00, MBA Sports Management
LB – Brennan Young, HCU, 3.72, MBA in Marketing
DB – Chase Brown, Nicholls, 3.00, MBA
DB – PJ Herrington, Northwestern State, 3.16, Health and Exercise Science
DB – Sean-Krystoff King, TAMUC, 3.73, Computer Science
DB – Logan Scott, Nicholls, 3.05, Computer Information Systems