Spree earns Academic All-America distinction

AUSTIN, Texas -- Simpson College football senior Mason Spree becomes the sixth College Sports Information Directors of America Academic All-America selection in program history after landing on the second team, CoSIDA announced Wednesday.

Spree is the first recipient for the Storm since Nathan Hawkins tallied the honor in 2018 and the second under head coach Matt Jeter. Spree is one of two selections from the American Rivers Conference that make up the 51 student-athletes between the first and second teams.

The offensive lineman holds a 3.88 grade-point average as a computer science and management information systems double major. Spree lengthed the program's streak to 12 straight years with a CoSIDA Academic All-District selection when he was placed on the first team last month.

Since 2018, Spree has paved the way for 3,319 rushing yards as a key cog in Simpson's offensive line unit. Cam Bunting led the A-R-C in rushing yards (1,396), rushing touchdowns (13) and scoring (90 points) coming out of the Simpson's backfield behind Spree's help in 2018.

The Waverly, Iowa native joins Ian Dean (men's soccer) and Jenna Taylor (women's basketball) as CoSIDA Academic All-America selections during the 2020-21 academic year. Taylor was named the CoSIDA Division III Women's Basketball Academic All-America of the Year and is a two-time Academic All-America selection.