Seven Pioneers Earn Academic All-District Honors

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Seven members of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville football team were named to the College Sport Communicators (CSC) 2024 Academic All-District Team on Tuesday afternoon. Juniors Will Straka, Joshua Zitzer, and Trevor Syse, and sophomores Benjamin Younker, Jaxson Garbisch, Cormac Sammons, and Harrison Meyer were the seven recognized by the CSC.

Straka, a civil engineering major with a 3.596 GPA, started all 11 games at linebacker for the Pioneers while earning WIAC First Team Defense honors. The junior finished with a team-high 80.0 tackles and added 11.0 tackles for loss and three sacks. Straka reached double-digit tackles in three games, including a season-high 13.0 twice against both UW-River Falls and UW-Whitewater.

Zitzer, a mechanical engineering major, held a 3.536 GPA while starting all 11 games at left tackle for the Pioneers. The junior anchored a unit that allowed a conference-low nine sacks while also averaging 281.4 passing yards per game.

Syse holds a 3.674 GPA as a finance major. The junior wide receiver played in all 11 games and finished with 127 yards and one touchdown on 13 receptions. He added a passing touchdown as well on a trick play in the Pioneers win over UW-Eau Claire.

Younker is a civil engineering major with a 3.853 GPA. The sophomore punter was named D3football.com All-American Second Team and WIAC First Team following a season that saw him average a WIAC-best 42.9 yards per punt. Younker placed 18 of his 41 punts inside the 20-yard line, and his long punt of 75 yards in the playoff game against Wartburg is the longest punt in UW-Platteville history.

Garbisch is a mechanical engineering major with a 3.829 GPA. The sophomore saw action in all 11 games at wide receiver and posted a career-high 234 yards on 18 receptions. Garbisch finished with one receiving touchdown.

Sammons played all 11 games and boasts a 3.740 GPA as a civil engineering major. The sophomore defensive lineman finished with 24.0 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 2.0 sacks. Sammons recovered one fumble and had a season-high five tackles against UW-Eau Claire.

Meyer is a double-major in business marketing and finance with a 3.506 GPA. The sophomore was named Second Team All-WIAC after posting 49.0 tackles and intercepting three passes. His 12 pass breakups were tied for the third-most in the conference and he was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week after intercepting two passes against UW-Eau Claire.

The complete CSC All-District Teams can be found HERE.