DWU Lands 5 on NAIA Academic Scholar-Athlete List

MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University football team has seen a run of success on the field over the last four seasons not accomplished since the 1920s, but the latest accolades for the Tigers came for the team's performance in the classroom.

Five DWU football players were named to the Daktronics-NAIA Scholar Athlete Team for 2014.

In order to be nominated by an institution's head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved a junior academic status.

The Tigers more than doubled their total on the list from last season when DWU had two players honored.

The honor is the first for all five Tiger athletes. The list of DWU players includes senior offensive lineman Jon Knight (Pocatello, Mont.), senior defensive back Jared Van Winkle (Tyndall, S.D.), junior defensive back Jordan Buchholz (South Shore, S.D.), junior defensive back Tanner Munk (Dell Rapids, S.D.) and junior defensive back Mike Rohde (Colome, S.D.).

DWU had 13 athletes named NAIA Scholar Athletes earlier in December for volleyball, men's and women's soccer and cross country.