Nov 08, 2012
Bethany College senior Johnathan Foster added to his growing list of accomplishments, as he was voted to the Capital One Academic All-District II football team, as presented by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
To be eligible, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative G.P.A. of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at their current institution and be nominated by their sports information director. All Division III institutions in Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, New Jersey, Rhode Island and West Virginia make up District II.
With his appearance on the All-District team, Foster now advances to the Capital One Academic All-American ballot, where First-, Second- and Third-Team All-America honorees will be selected later this month.
Foster earned his spot on the team with a sparkling resume both on the field and in the classroom. As a wide receiver for the Bison, he leads the PAC with 64 receptions and his 7.1 catches per game ranks him 19th in Division III. IN addition, he sits third in the league with 546 receiving yards. Starting with the Oct. 13th game against nationally-ranked Waynesburg when he caught 10 passes, Foster has snared 36 receptions in the last four games. He will enter the season finale Saturday at home against Saint Vincent needing eight catches to break the Bethany single-season mark of 71, set in 2006 by T.J. Parker.
With his big senior season, Foster has climbed up the all-time records list at Bethany. He now has 131 receptions to his credit, which is fifth all-time at the school, and his 1,311 receiving yards puts Foster 11th in Bison history.
Foster's academic credentials are even more impressive. In September, he was named one of the 147 candidates for the 2012 National Football Foundation (NFF) National Scholar-Athlete Awards and a semifinalist for the 2012 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation. He was one of only 41 Division III players to make the list and the only player from the PAC.
In addition to the honors he's picked up this year, he carries a GPA of better than 3.9 as a psychology major (human services track) and he's appeared on either the Dean's List or President's List for a 4.0 GPA every semester he's been at Bethany. He is a member of three honor societies on campus, including Bethany's prestigious Kalon Honor Society, which gives recognition to students of high character who have shown unselfish leadership within the College community.
Other awards earned by Foster during his Bethany tenure include the Richard B. Kenney Outstanding Freshman Award, the W.F. Kennedy Prize Winner as the Outstanding Junior Male and he earned acceptance into the Eastern Psychological Association for original research design. Foster has also worked in the McCann Learning Center on campus as a tutor, volunteered for The Neighborhood Academy Summer program and worked as an undergraduate assistant to Bethany President Dr. Scott Miller for the last three years.
"This is another on a long list of well deserved honors and awards that Johnathan has earned over his career," said Bethany head coach Tim Weaver. "He's really a great example of what is good about college athletics. He's a great student, a good player, people who meet him only have good things to say about him and he'll be a tremendous success in whatever his future plans hold for him. We're very proud of what Jon has accomplished."