WAYNE, Neb. -- Wayne State College sophomore linebacker Alex Kowalczyk was named to the NCAA Division II Academic All-America Football Team announced Tuesday morning and selected by College Sports Communicators. The graduate from O’Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota maintains a 3.91 grade point average majoring in accounting and earned Second Team honors.

Kowalczyk becomes the eighth player in program history to earn Academic All-America honors, joining kicker Ethan Knudson (2019), defensive end Kolbie Foster (2018 & 2019), defensive back Jon Davis (2014), linebacker Luke Hoffman (2008), offensive lineman Jeff Shabram (1999) and running back Lamont Rainey (1994).

A 5-11 210-pound sophomore linebacker, Kowalczyk earned All-Super Region 4 First Team and All-NSIC South Division First Team honors this season for the Wildcats after leading the team in tackles with 106, ranking fourth in the NSIC with 8.8 tackles per game. Kowalczyk tied for sixth in the NSIC with two forced fumbles and was tied for eighth in interceptions with three for 23 yards while also recording 7.5 tackles for loss for 21 yards and 2.5 sacks for nine yards.

Kowalczyk was named NSIC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season and had five games with 10 or more tackles. He recorded a career-best 18 tackles with one forced fumble in a 41-33 win over Minnesota State to be named Defensive Player of the Week and had 12 tackles with two quarterback hurries and one interception September 10th vs. Northern State to earn another NSIC Player of the Week honor on defense. Kowalczyk, an All-NSIC Second Team selection last season as a freshman, has led WSC in tackles the last two seasons and has 191 career tackles in two years.

Besides excelling in the classroom, Kowalczyk has also served as a representative on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee the last two seasons at WSC.

Wayne State finished the 2022 season with a record of 9-3 and earned a share of the Northern Sun Conference regular season title. The Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Division II playoffs for just the second time in school history (2008) before falling to #19 Minnesota State 26-9 in the opening round. The nine win season marked just the fourth time in school history (1949, 1993, 2008) that Wayne State football recorded nine wins.