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University of Minnesota Athletics
Players Mentioned
Photo by: Brace Hemmelgarn
Three Named to CoSIDA Academic All-District Team
11/18/2021 1:17:00 PM | Football
MINNEAPOLIS -- The Minnesota football program had three student-athletes named as 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District first-team members, it was announced Thursday. This honor recognizes the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Offensive linemen Blaise Andries and Conner Olson, and linebacker Jack Gibbens all earned the distinction for the Golden Gophers.
Now a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, Andries has started all 10 games this season (six at right guard, three at left tackle, one at right tackle) and all 43 games of his career (18 at right guard, 11 at left guard, nine at right tackle, five at left tackle). Majoring in actuary science & applied business analytics, he has been named a CoSIDA Academic All-American each of the last two years, Minnesota's first repeat honoree since Sam Renner in 2018 and 2019. A senior, Andries was named Academic All-Big Ten in 2020, 2019 and 2018 and was selected All-Big Ten Third Team in 2020 and 2019.
Recognized for the second straight season, Olson has already graduated with a double major in Human Physiology and Biology, Society and Environment. He is currently working toward an advanced degree in Public Health Administration & Policy MPH, which is a full-time, two year program that focuses on building skills in policy development and advocacy; project, program, and organization management; and data analysis and management. Olson, who plans to attend medical school, is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten performer, a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, a 2021 Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and a 2021 Campbell Trophy Semifinalist.
Now up to 55 career starts, Olson has tied the Big Ten record set by Ohio State's Billy Price (2014-17). Olson, who should break the mark Saturday at Indiana, has started every Minnesota game since the beginning of the 2017 season, which is the entire P.J. Fleck era. Olson has started 26 games at left guard, 15 at center and 14 at right guard. He currently holds the fifth longest active starting streak in the country.
In his first season at Minnesota, Gibbens spent the past four seasons at the FCS level with Abilene Christian. While with the Wildcats, Gibbens was a 2020 Campbell Trophy Finalist, 2019 First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America, 2019 First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District and 2019 Southland Conference All-Academic. Majoring in accountancy, Gibbens is second on the team this year with 68 tackles. He also has one forced fumble, and he's tied for second in pass breakups with three, all of which came at Purdue. After two tackles in the season opener, Gibbens has at least six stops in eight of the last nine contests, including six games with eight tackles, with a season-high 10 against Maryland on Oct. 23.
First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in mid-December.
Offensive linemen Blaise Andries and Conner Olson, and linebacker Jack Gibbens all earned the distinction for the Golden Gophers.
Now a three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree, Andries has started all 10 games this season (six at right guard, three at left tackle, one at right tackle) and all 43 games of his career (18 at right guard, 11 at left guard, nine at right tackle, five at left tackle). Majoring in actuary science & applied business analytics, he has been named a CoSIDA Academic All-American each of the last two years, Minnesota's first repeat honoree since Sam Renner in 2018 and 2019. A senior, Andries was named Academic All-Big Ten in 2020, 2019 and 2018 and was selected All-Big Ten Third Team in 2020 and 2019.
Recognized for the second straight season, Olson has already graduated with a double major in Human Physiology and Biology, Society and Environment. He is currently working toward an advanced degree in Public Health Administration & Policy MPH, which is a full-time, two year program that focuses on building skills in policy development and advocacy; project, program, and organization management; and data analysis and management. Olson, who plans to attend medical school, is a three-time Academic All-Big Ten performer, a two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, a 2021 Big Ten Postgraduate Scholarship recipient and a 2021 Campbell Trophy Semifinalist.
Now up to 55 career starts, Olson has tied the Big Ten record set by Ohio State's Billy Price (2014-17). Olson, who should break the mark Saturday at Indiana, has started every Minnesota game since the beginning of the 2017 season, which is the entire P.J. Fleck era. Olson has started 26 games at left guard, 15 at center and 14 at right guard. He currently holds the fifth longest active starting streak in the country.
In his first season at Minnesota, Gibbens spent the past four seasons at the FCS level with Abilene Christian. While with the Wildcats, Gibbens was a 2020 Campbell Trophy Finalist, 2019 First Team CoSIDA Academic All-America, 2019 First Team CoSIDA Academic All-District and 2019 Southland Conference All-Academic. Majoring in accountancy, Gibbens is second on the team this year with 68 tackles. He also has one forced fumble, and he's tied for second in pass breakups with three, all of which came at Purdue. After two tackles in the season opener, Gibbens has at least six stops in eight of the last nine contests, including six games with eight tackles, with a season-high 10 against Maryland on Oct. 23.
First-team Academic All-District honorees advance to the CoSIDA Academic All-America ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in mid-December.
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