Southwestern Oklahoma quarterback Steve Day and Midwestern State quarterback Zack Eskridge topped the 2009 Lone Star Conference football academic awards, which were announced by league officials on Thursday.

   Day, a senior from Edmond, Okla., picked up his second-straight LSC North Academic Player of the Year award with a 3.67 grade point average in Exercise Science. This year, he broke his own single-season school records for passes attempted and completed. He also owns the Bulldogs' career passing records for completions, attempts, yards and touchdowns.

   Eskridge, a junior from Rowlett, Texas, has a 3.61 GPA in Radiology and is a 2009 CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District first team member. He is the NCAA Division II pass efficiency leader this season at 184.85 and set a NCAA Division II single-game record when he completed 24 of 25 passes in MSU's 38-7 win over Texas A&M-Kingsville on October 17. He set the Mustangs' single-season records in passing yards, completions, efficiency rating, touchdown passes and completion percentage this year, in addition to holding the school's career marks for TD passes and completion percentage.

   The two lead the list of 22 players named to the LSC All-Academic Teams, which recognize both academic and athletic achievement.

   The All-Academic Teams are voted upon by the league's sports information directors. To be eligible for LSC academic honors, student-athletes need at least a 3.30 GPA and must be at least a sophomore. All qualifying student-athletes not voted to the All-Academic Team are then placed on the Commissioner's Honor Roll.

   A total of 50 players were honored for their academic achievements, and all 13 of the LSC's football teams were represented.

   Five schools, Northeastern State, Southeastern Oklahoma, Central Oklahoma, East Central and Texas A&M-Commerce each placed two players on the North Division All-Academic team, in addition to SWOSU's one.

   League and division co-champion MSU led the South Division team with three selections, while Eastern New Mexico, Angelo State and Abilene Christian each earned two, and Tarleton State and Texas A&M-Kingsville rounded out the squad with one apiece.

   In addition to Day, the North Division All-Academic team was comprised of SOSU's Jerrod Temple and Welton Johnson, NSU's Jared Homer and Joe Kok, UCO's Tucker Cason and Matt Jackson, ECU's Trevor Suffal and Joshua Maldanado and A&M-C's Blake Patton and T.J. Nielsen.

   With Eskridge on the South Division All-Academic team were teammates J.J. Ford and Tyler Maner, ENMU's Nathan Uland and Karlton Graves, ASU's Josh Neiswander and Ian Ritchey, ACU's Eric Edwards and Emery Dudensing, TSU's Dustin Washburn and TAMUK's Jorge Guerra.

2009 Lone Star Conference Football All-Academic Awards

North Division All-Academic Team

Player, Pos.                      Team                                    Year      Major                                        Hometown

Steve Day, QB                  Southwestern Oklahoma    Sr.         Exercise Science                     Edmond, Okla.

Jared Homer, K                Northeastern State              Sr.         Elementary Education             Mustang, Okla.

Joe Kok, P                        Northeastern State              Sr.         Mathematics Education          Broken Arrow, Okla.

Jerrod Temple, TE          Southeastern Oklahoma     Sr.         Occupational Safety                Carrollton, Texas

Tucker Cason, LB            Central Oklahoma               So.        Undecided                                               Oklahoma City, Okla.

Welton Johnson, DB      Southeastern Oklahoma     Jr.          HPER                                        Ashdown, Ark.

Matt Jackson, WR           Central Oklahoma               So.        Kinesiology                             Edmond, Okla.

Blake Patton, WR            Texas A&M-Commerce       Jr.          Environmental Science          Baytown, Texas

Trevor Suffal, OL             East Central                         Jr.          Kinesiology                             Duncan, Okla.

Joshua Maldanado, RB  East Central                         Jr.          Political Science                      Sachse, Texas

T.J. Nielsen, TE               Texas A&M-Commerce       So.        Kinesiology                             San Antonio, Texas                                                                                               

North Division Special Recognition

Academic Player of the Year: Steve Day, Southwestern Oklahoma

North Division Commissioner's Honor Roll

East Central: Josh Pulattie, Sr.;

Northeastern State: Beau Beathard, So.; McCoy Campbell, Sr.; Colton Ables, So.; Kaelin Woods, Sr.;

Southeastern Oklahoma State: Hunter Phelan, So.; Ronnie Willrich, So.;

Southwestern Oklahoma State: Cody Gragg, Jr.; Stephen Speer, So.

South Division All-Academic Team

Player, Pos.                      Team                                    Year      Major                                        Hometown

Zack Eskridge, QB          Midwestern State                 Jr.          Radiology                                                Rowlett, Texas

Nathan Uland, LB            Eastern New Mexico           Jr.          Finance                                    Denton, Texas

Karlton Graves, OT         Eastern New Mexico           Jr.          Political Science                      Brownwood, Texas

Josh Neiswander, QB     Angelo State                        Jr.          Business Administration        Winnsboro, Texas

Jorge Guerra, OT            Texas A&M-Kingsville         Sr.         Management                            Roma, Texas

Eric Edwards, LB             Abilene Christian                 Jr.          Mathematics Teaching           Stephenville, Texas

Ian Ritchey, LB                Angelo State                        Sr.         Mathematics                             Boyd, Texas

Emery Dudensing, FB     Abilene Christian                 Jr.          Mathematics                             Rule, Texas

J.J. Ford, TE                    Midwestern State                 Sr.         Comp. Science / Mathematics                Garden City, Kan.

Dustin Washburn, C        Tarleton State                      Sr.         Kinesiology                             Abilene, Texas

Tyler Maner, DB               Midwestern State                 So.        Business                                  Fredricksburg, Texas

South Division Special Recognition

Academic Player of the Year: Zack Eskridge, Midwestern State

South Division Commissioner's Honor Roll

Abilene Christian: Derek Odelusi, So.; Adam Myer, Sr.;

Angelo State: Pete Parker, Sr.; D.J. Clough, So.; Dylan Wiggs, Jr.; Zach McCormick, So.; Wade Goode, So.;

Stephen Boyles, So.;

Eastern New Mexico: Devin Sweet, Sr.; Mark Pena, Jr.;

Midwestern State: Lee Scott                                        , Sr.; Michael Mejia, Jr.;

Tarleton State: Levi Kirkland                                                       , So.; Chris Oguayo, Jr.; Brandon Johnson,             Jr.

Texas A&M-Kingsville: Timothy Byerly, Jr.; Thermon Biggers, Jr.; Drew Harper, So.;

West Texas A&M: Steve Smith, Jr.