Nov. 8, 2007
LAS VEGAS - UNLV football had a school-record three student-athletes named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 8 First and Second teams, the College Sports Information Directors of America announced Thursday.
Junior wide receiver Casey Flair was selected to the first team while senior offensive lineman Mike McKiski and junior defensive lineman Jacob Hales were named to the second team. This is the second year in a row that Hales earned the honor, as the Las Vegas native was selected to the first team last year. These are the first ESPN The Magazine academic honors for Flair and McKiski.
Flair is a former walk-on who has turned himself into one of the most consistent pass catchers in UNLV history as well one of the program's top student-athletes off the field. Flair currently carries a 3.50 GPA in psychology and the junior from Anchorage, Alaska, is a two-time member of the Academic All-Mountain West Conference team. Flair was also one of only 11 players in the nation named to the 2007 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team for the Bowl Subdivision. He is the fourth Rebel in school history to be named to the team, which recognizes student-athletes for their performance off the field.
On the field Flair has been the epitome of consistency, making at least one reception in every game of his collegiate career, a streak of 32 games that is currently the eighth-longest streak in the nation. A 2006 second team All-MWC selection, Flair currently has 37 receptions for 433 yards and two scores through nine games this season.
Hales prepped at Las Vegas High School and he currently has a 3.51 GPA and is majoring in university studies. A standout student, Hales has been named the football program's Scholar-Athlete of the year the past two seasons and has been on the Academic All-MWC team the past two years as well. The senior has been a mainstay along the defensive line this season and has 29 tackles, three tackles for loss, a pair of sacks and a forced fumble. Hales also served an LDS Mission in Houston from 2002-2004 before enrolling in UNLV.
McKiski has been in the Rebel program for five years and is also a three-time member of the Academic All-MWC team. A local product who prepped at Coronado High School, McKiski had a string of 31 consecutive starts before suffering an injury in game five of this season. McKiski is majoring in journalism and university studies.
The academic all-district squad was voted on by CoSIDA members from within the District 8 states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington and the province of British Columbia. Since he was a first-team selection, Flair will now appear on the national ballot with a chance to earn ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America football honors. The national team will be announced on Nov. 29.
District 8 WinnersUniversity Division
FIRST TEAM
POS PLAYER TEAM CL GPA MAJORP T.J. Conley Idaho Jr. 3.59 Civil EngineeringQB Dennis Dixon Oregon Sr. 3.33 SociologyWR Wes Doyle San Diego Sr. 3.56 Business AdministrationWR Casey Flair UNLV Jr. 3.50 Majoring in psychologyWR Evan Moore Stanford Gr. 3.34 SociologyTE Tom McAndrews Eastern Washington Sr. 4.00 Finance and Economics (double major)RB Anthony Kimble Stanford Jr. 3.30 Science, Technology and SocietyRB Johnny Sancez Southern Utah Sr. 3.34 Engineering technologyOL Christopher Joseph UCLA Sr. 3.95 GeographyOL Chris Carlsen Eastern Washington Sr. 3.60 Mechanical EngineeringOL Tim Mattran Stanford Sr. 3.50 MA-Sociology; BA-Science, Tech., SocietyOL Brent Newhouse Stanford Sr. 3.81 Co-Term (M-Mgmt., Sci. & Eng.; B-Econ)OL Matt Roan Southern Utah Sr. 3.79 Political ScienceK Clint Stitser Fresno State Gr. 4.00 Business MarketingDB Patrick O'Neill San Diego Jr. 3.79 BusinessDB Moses Harris Fresno State So. 3.61 Business AdministrationDB Alterraun Verner UCLA So. 3.46 UndeclaredDB Micheal Dorsey Portland State Sr. 3.40 Business AdministrationLB Jordan Senn Portland State Sr. 3.86 Physical Activity and ExerciseLB Mike Nixon Arizona State So. 4.00 Journalism and Mass CommunicationsLB David Vobora Idaho Sr. 3.43 Communications StudiesDL Christopher Gianelli San Diego Jr. 3.75 EngineeringDL Nick Reed Oregon Jr. 3.39 HistoryDL Jacob Kragt Eastern Washington So. 3.84 BiologyDL Chris Horn Stanford Sr. 3.30 Working on a Master's and Bachelor's degrees
SECOND TEAM
POS PLAYER TEAM CL GPA MAJORQB Alex Brink Washington State Sr. 3.55 Sport ManagementWR Tony Davis Eastern Washington So. 3.27 Interdisciplinary StudiesTE Jed Collins Washington State Sr. 3.41 AccountingRB Nathan Adams Fresno State Sr. 3.41 Construction ManagementRB Jayson Bird Idaho Jr. 3.77 BiologyOL Brandon Rodd Arizona State Gr. 3.33 Interdisciplinary StudiesOL Alex Mack Cal Jr. 3.43 Legal StudiesOL Jeff Cavender Boise State Sr. 3.40 CommunicationOL Micah Hannam Washington State So. 3.63 Undeclared (civil engineering interest)OL Mike McKiski UNLV Sr. 3.58 Journalism/University StudiesK Romeen Abdollmohammadi Washington State Sr. 3.38 Movement StudiesK Robbie Dehaze Northern Arizona Jr. 3.23 FinanceDB Orlando Scandrick Boise State Jr. 3.26 CommunicationDB Ben Hannula San Diego Jr. 3.48 BusinessDB Scotty James San Diego State Sr. 3.37 Social ScienceDB Brett Igbinoba Eastern Washington So. 3.21 BiologyLB Sterling Mennear Idaho State Sr. 3.64 ArtLB Tim Brady Boise State Jr. 3.58 Business ManagementLB Kyle Gingg Boise State Jr. 3.47 ManagementDL Nick Schlekeway Boise State So. 3.78 Business ManagementDL Cole Smith Portland State Sr. 3.46 Civil EngineeringDL Karl Noa Hawaii Sr. 3.22 Family ResourcesDL Matt Mullennix Washington State Sr. 3.30 Management and Operations/PhyschologyDL Jacob Hales UNLV Jr. 3.51 University Studies
