Football | 12/12/2017 3:07:00 PM

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. – Shippensburg University senior quarterback Ryan Zapoticky was named Tuesday to the 2017-18 Academic All-America ™ Division II Football Second Team, making him the first Red Raider signal caller in school history to be named an Academic All-American.
 
Zapoticky, a biology major focusing on pre-dentistry and pre-med, possesses a cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of 3.68. He is set to graduate this December. Over the summer, Zapoticky completed his dental school exam with a 99.9 percent test score. He is also planning to play in the Dream Bowl in January.
 
In 2017, Zapoticky earned All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East First Team honors and ranked second in the league in yards per completion (14.12), third in points responsible for (192), and fourth in passing yards (2,952) and passing touchdowns (25). All of those totals rank among the Top 25 players nationally. Zapoticky also rushed for 396 yards and a career-high seven touchdowns.
 
A semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy, Zapoticky finished his career with a 23-7 record as a starter. Zapoticky ranks second all-time at Shippensburg in career passing yards (7,102) and career total offense (8,361). He is SU's all-time leader for rushing yards as a quarterback (1,259), a total that ranks seventh in PSAC history.    
 
The Academic All- America ™ program is a prestigious honor that is annually voted on by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). The purpose of the program is to recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances athletically and in the classroom.
 
To qualify, a student-athlete must be a sophomore or older who maintains a cumulative 3.30 GPA or higher and have participated in at least 50 percent of the team's games.
 
There are four Division II Academic All-District™ Football teams, one for each of the NCAA's Super Regions. From those four teams (announced Nov. 18), an Academic All-America™ team comprised of 50 total honorees is selected annually. Zapoticky is one of just two Division II quarterbacks to receive this year's Academic All-America ™ classification, along with 2017 Academic All-America Football Player of the Year Ty Reasnor of Arkansas Tech.
 
Zapoticky and fellow 2017 honoree Colin McDermott become the eighth and ninth unique Academic All-Americans in school history and the first Red Raiders to receive the designation since Mike Frenette in 2012. It is the third time in school history that SU has had multiple Academic All-Americans in the same season (1982, 1995).
 
SHIP Football Academic All-Americans
9 Unique Academic All-Americans
13 Total Academic All-America Awards
 
1975
Tony Winter, LB (Second Team)

1976
Tony Winter, LB (First Team)

1982
Dave Butler, DL (First Team)
Dave Schanbacher, OL (Second Team)

1994
Joel Yohn, K (First Team)

1995
Joel Yohn, K (First Team)
Chris Bickel, DB (Second Team)
 
2003
John Kuhn, RB (First Team)

2004
John Kuhn, RB (First Team)
 
2011
Mike Frenette, RB (Second Team)

2012
Mike Frenette, RB (Second Team)
 
2017
Colin McDermott, RB (First Team)
Ryan Zapoticky, QB (Second Team)