GAMBIER – Seven members of the Kenyon College football team were named to the 2022 Academic All-District Team, as selected by members of College Sports Communicators (CSC). The Owls’ list of honorees included Jack Baulig, Nate Braus, Jason Kessler, Finn Murray, Trenton Scherger, Nate Stuart and Chris Zaiser.
To be eligible, a student-athlete had to be a starter or important reserve who played in at least 50 percent of the team's games.The student-athlete had to be on the team's active roster for at least two years and, most importantly, had to own at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average. Inclusion on the Academic All-District Team means that all seven Owls advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. The selections to the national team will be announced Wednesday, Dec. 21.
Three of Kenyon’s seven honorees were starters on the offensive line, with Braus and Stuart manning the guard positions and Zaiser holding down the left tackle spot. That trio helped pave the way for one of the most prolific offenses in program history. As a team, Kenyon racked up 4,453 yards of offense and 271 points. Both of those totals ranked third best in the team’s single-season record book.
Stuart, a junior who majors in chemistry, was recently named to the All-North Coast Athletic Conference second team. Braus, also a junior, played 10 games this past season, while focusing his studies on political science. Zaiser is majoring in both Spanish and international studies. He, too, is a junior, which bodes well for the future of the Owls’ front line.
Kenyon’s other honoree from the offense was Murray, a senior wide receiver and a history major. Murray had six 100-yards or better receiving games. He finished the year with 72 receptions, which led the conference, as well as 834 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. His average of 8.0 receptions a game ranked as the fifth best average in Division III football.
The Owls’ other three Academic All-District honorees played within the defensive unit and all three were seniors. Baulig, who played on the defensive line, is a political science major. He logged time in all 10 games this past season and recorded 23 tackles, including one quarterback sack.
The other two defensemen were linebackers. Kessler, a team captain, is also majoring in political science. He started all 10 games and ranked second on the team with 68 tackles. Scherger, a biochemistry major, played a reserve role in five contests and logged three tackles.
