Eastern New Mexico offensive tackle Karlton Graves and Midwestern State quarterback Zack Eskridge headlined the 2010 Lone Star Conference football academic awards, which were announced by league officials on Wednesday.

   Graves, a senior from Brownwood, Texas, was selected as the LSC North Academic Player of the Year with a 3.94 grade point average in political science. This year, he blocked for the Greyhounds spread offense, which ranks 4th in the league and 16th in the nation in passing. Graves and the offensive line helped ENMU average 431 yards per game, including 302 passing yards and 129 rushing yards.

   Eskridge, a senior from Rowlett, Texas, picked up his second straight LSC South Academic Player of the Year award with a 3.56 GPA in radiology.  His honors include CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District first team member, Harlon Hill Finalist, D2Football.com All-America Honorable mention, Daktronics Super Region 4 Offensive Player of the Year and Daktronics All-Super Region 4 First Team in 2009.  Eskridge set records in completions (550), passing yards (6747) and passing touchdowns (52) during his career as a Mustang. His overall record as a starting quarterback for MSU is 21-10.

   The two topped the list of 23 players named to the LSC All-Academic Teams, which recognize both academic and athletic achievement.

  The All-Academic Team is selected by the league's sports information directors, who vote on the basis of both academic and athletic achievement. To be eligible for LSC academic honors, student-athletes must have played in at least 50 percent of team’s contests, reached sophomore athletic and academic standing (true freshmen and redshirt freshmen are not eligible), completed at least one full academic year at the nominating institution, and have a minimum 3.30 cumulative grade point average based on the 4.0 system for his/her entire collegiate career.

   The North Division All-Academic team included four players from Eastern New Mexico, three representing Central Oklahoma, two each from Southwestern Oklahoma and Southeastern Oklahoma and one from Northeastern State.

   West Texas A&M led the South Division All-Academic team with four selections, while Incarnate Word and Angelo State each earned two, and Tarleton State, Midwestern State and Abilene Christian rounded out the squad with one apiece.

   With Graves on the North Division All-Academic team was teammates Nathan Uland, Stefan Mills and Chase Kyser, UCO’s Chris Robbs, Tucker Holland and Tucker Cason, SWOSU’s Cody Gragg and Stephen Speer, SOSU’s Travis Kincheloe and Welton Johnson and NSU’s Nick Dobler.

   In addition to Eskridge, the South Division All-Academic team was comprised of ACU’s Emery Dudensing, UIW’s Charles Segura and Trent Rios, ASU’s Josh Neiswander and Ryan Merryman, WTAMU’s John McSheffery, Curtis Jefferson, Dan Sherwood and Aaron Mullane and Tarleton’s Brandon Johnson.

2010 Lone Star Conference Football All-Academic Awards

Tucker Cason, LB          Central Oklahoma            Jr.                  Kinesiology                             Oklahoma City, Okla.

North Division Special Recognition

Academic Player of the Year: Karlton Graves, Eastern New Mexico

Josh Neiswander, QB     Angelo State                     Grad school   Business Administration          Winnsboro, Texas

Dan Sherwood, OL        West Texas A&M            Grad school   Sports & Exercise Sciences     Amarillo, Texas

South Division Special Recognition

Academic Player of the Year: Zack Eskridge, Midwestern State