David Simmet chosen for AP Little All-America team

Ferris State’s Jason Vander Laan is the first-team quarterback on The Associated Press Little All-America team for the second straight season.

The Little All-America team honors players from Division II, III and NAIA.

Vander Laan set an NCAA record for career rushing yards (5,953) by a quarterback this season at Ferris State in Michigan. He is a finalist again for the Harlon Hill Trophy, given to the nation’s top Division II player. Vander Laan won the Harlon Hill last season. He would be the fourth player to win the Harlon Hill more than once, and the first since Danny Woodhead of Chadron State did it in 2006 and ’07.

Harlon Hill finalists Cameron McDondle of Colorado State-Pueblo and Ja’Quan Gardner of Humboldt State are the Little All-America running backs.

The Hill Trophy will be awarded Friday.

Alex Hoff of Division III power Linfield and Matt Judon of Grand Valley State were first-team selections on the defensive line.
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FIRST TEAM

Offense

Quarterback — Jason Vander Laan, senior, Ferris State.

Running backs — Cameron McDondle, senior, Colorado State-Pueblo; Ja’Quan Gardner, sophomore, Humboldt State.

Linemen — Corey Tucker, senior, Slippery Rock; Joe Ray, senior, Lenoir-Rhyne; David Simmet, senior, St. Thomas (Minnesota); Jordan Morgan, junior, Kutztown; Colin Egan, senior, Johns Hopkins.

Receivers — Jon Schnaars, senior, East Stroudsburg; Jessie Ramos, senior, Hardin-Simmons; Jameson Parsons, junior, St. Cloud State.

All-purpose player — Dayton Winn, junior, Hendrix.

Kicker — Austin Morton, sophomore, Emporia State.

Defense

Linemen — Alex Hoff, senior, Linfield; Matt Judon, senior, Grand Valley State; Joshua Gordon, senior, Minnesota State-Mankato; Collin Bevins, senior, Northwest Missouri State.

Linebackers — Brock Long, senior, Fort Hays State; Jewell Ratliff, senior, Tuskegee; Max Nacewicz, senior, Springfield (Mass.).

Backs — Solomon St. Pierre, senior, Sioux Falls; Michael Jordan, senior, Missouri Western State; Victor Bunce, sophomore, Claremont-Mudd-Scripps; Carlo Thomas, sophomore, Johnson C. Smith.

Punter — Matt Klingler, Lindenwood, senior.

SECOND TEAM

Offense

Quarterback — Joe Callahan, senior, Wesley (Del.).

Running backs — Sam Benger, sophomore, Carnegie Mellon; Damian Baker, senior, Carson-Newman.

Linemen — Eric Knaperek, senior, North Central (Ill.); Sam Hart, senior, Amherst; Chris Reaper, senior, Findlay; Jim Walsh, senior, Grand Valley State; Shane Smith, senior, Northwest Missouri State.

Receivers — Reece Horn, senior, Indianapolis; Kevin Jennings, senior, Carroll (Wis.); Xavier Ayers, junior, Western New Mexico.

All-purpose player — D.J. Jones, junior, Southwestern Oklahoma.

Kicker — Thomas Woodburn, senior, Utica.

Defense

Linemen — Andrew Cohen, senior, West Chester; Morgan Fox, senior, Colorado State-Pueblo; Tom Lally, senior, Mount Union; Dylan Donahue, junior, West Georgia.

Linebackers — Kyle Kitchens, sophomore, Catawba; Alex Wahl, senior, Upper Iowa; Justin Dischler, senior, Wisconsin-Whitewater.

Backs — Marqui Christian, senior, Midwestern State; Jordan Shaw, senior, Shorter; Anthony White, senior, Huntingdon; Austin Davis, sophomore, Kean.

Punter — Bret Benes, junior, Charleston (W.Va.).

THIRD TEAM

Offense

Quarterback — Jeff Ziemba, junior, Shepherd.

Running backs — Austin Ekeler, junior, Western State; Mason Zurek, senior, Wabash.

Linemen — Zach Martinez, senior, Colorado State-Pueblo; Herschel Prater, senior, Minnesota State-Mankato; Shane Thompson, senior, Texas A&M-Commerce; Michael LaSala, junior, Washington & Lee; Orion Awa-Dubose, senior, West Georgia.

Receivers — Keelan Cole, senior, Kentucky Wesleyan; Krishawn Hogan, sophomore, Marian (Ind.); Bill Brown, junior, Shepherd.

All-purpose player — Sheldon Mayer, senior, Shippensburg.

Kicker — Brent Wahle, senior, Ohio Dominican.

Defense

Linemen — Justin Woods-West, senior, Central State (Ohio); Clayton Callicut, senior, Angelo State; Brandon Jones, senior, Widener; Teidrick Smith, junior, Mary Hardin-Baylor.

Linebackers — Ben Kullos, senior, Dakota State; Marquez Gollman, junior, Grand Valley State; Connor Harris, junior, Lindenwood.

Backs — Frank Laterza, senior, St. Norbert College; Philip Lanieri, III, senior, Rensselaer; Kevin Berg, junior, Northwest Missouri State; Antion McBee, senior, Southwest Baptist.

Punter — Ryan Anderson, sophomore, Olivet.