ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Davidson College junior running back Mason Sheron is the Pioneer Football League’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year and highlights the 33rd Academic All-PFL Teams as selected by the league’s football communications directors and released on Wednesday.
The PFL Scholar-Athlete of the Year and 32nd Academic All-PFL Teams conclude the league’s award presentations for the 2025 season. The league recognized its PFL Annual Award honorees on Monday, followed by the announcement of the 33rd All-PFL Teams on Tuesday. The PFL Academic Honor Roll, which recognizes academic achievement during the Fall 2025 semester, will be announced in January 2025.
In addition to earning the PFL’s highest academic distinction, Sheron, a Leo, Indiana product, earned his third First Team Academic All-PFL honor this season. He entered the fall with a 3.93 GPA as a biology major at Davidson. Last season, Sheron earned Second Team Academic All-America recognition from College Sports Communicators, and this season, he was the recipient of a Charlotte Touchdown Club scholarship. On the field, Sheron recorded 503 rushing yards and five touchdowns on 129 carries and amassed 606 all-purpose yards. He finishes his career with 2,501 rushing yards and 31 rushing touchdowns, both among Davidson’s career Top 10 marks. Sheron becomes the first Davidson student-athlete to win the PFL Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor since its inception in 2014.
Marist redshirt junior offensive lineman Chris Leonardo joins Sheron as a three-time First Team Academic All-PFL honoree, entering the season with a 3.87 GPA as an economics major. Making their second appearance as first-team honorees were Dayton junior wide receiver Gavin Lochow and Morehead State senior linebacker Luke Bauer.
Pioneer Football League athletic directors established the Academic All-PFL squads in 1993 to recognize the league’s outstanding student-athletes. To be eligible for Academic All-PFL consideration, a student-athlete must be a varsity starter or key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 on a scale of 4.00, reach their second season academically, and have played at least one full season at their current institution.
About the Pioneer Football League
The Pioneer Football League is the only non-scholarship, football-only NCAA Football Championship Subdivision conference. The PFL is a truly national conference with members on each coast and throughout the nation’s heartland. Butler University, the University of Dayton, Drake University, and Valparaiso University were among the league’s founding members in 1993, with Davidson College, Marist University, Morehead State University, Presbyterian College, the University of San Diego, the University of St. Thomas, and Stetson University joining to form the current 11-team league.
2025 All-Pioneer Football League First Team
|
| Player |
School |
Class |
Pos. |
GPA |
Major |
OFFENSE
|
| Will Aaronson |
Marist |
Gr. |
OL |
3.69
4.00 |
B.S. Business Administration
Business Administration |
| Archie Cox |
Butler |
RJr. |
WR |
3.91 |
Finance |
| Carter Cravens |
Morehead State |
Gr. |
QB |
3.50 |
Business Administration |
| Collin Hurst |
Presbyterian |
RSo. |
QB |
3.49 |
English – Communications |
| Chris Leonardo (1, 3x) |
Marist |
RJr. |
OL |
3.87 |
Economics |
| Nathan Levicki |
Presbyterian |
Sr. |
TE |
3.75 |
Political Science |
| Gavin Lochow (1) |
Dayton |
Jr. |
WR |
3.74 |
Communications |
| Ethan Loss |
Butler |
RJr. |
WR |
3.81 |
Finance |
| Andy Peters |
St. Thomas |
Gr. |
QB |
3.70 |
Diversity Leadership |
| Mason Sheron (1, 3x) |
Davidson |
Sr. |
RB |
3.93 |
Biology |
| Isaac Stopke |
Morehead State |
RSo. |
RB |
3.70 |
University Studies |
DEFENSE
|
| Jacob Auen |
Drake |
Sr. |
DL |
3.55 |
Economics |
| Luke Bauer (1) |
Morehead State |
Sr. |
LB |
3.95 |
Accounting |
| Dylan Cook |
Morehead State |
Gr. |
DB |
3.95 |
Criminology |
| Cam Cope |
Dayton |
RJr. |
DB |
3.78 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Vincent Firenze |
Dayton |
RSo. |
DB |
3.50 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| J.R. Flood |
Drake |
Sr. |
LB |
3.60 |
Management & Organizational Leadership |
| Andrew Martin |
Stetson |
Jr. |
LB |
3.85 |
Environmental Science |
| Nate Robinson Jr. |
Marist |
So. |
DB |
3.97 |
Psychology |
| Ryan Sever |
St. Thomas |
Sr. |
LB |
3.51 |
Business |
| Carter Szydlowski |
Presbyterian |
Sr. |
DL |
3.32 |
History |
| De’Andre Wilborn |
Valparaiso |
RSr. |
FL |
3.76 |
Sport Administration |
SPECIAL TEAMS
|
| Elliot Huether |
St. Thomas |
Jr. |
P/K |
3.74 |
Business Economics |
| Ryan Ricketti |
Valparaiso |
RFr. |
RS |
4.00 |
Accounting |
| Brett Welsing (2) |
Drake |
Sr. |
LS |
3.83 |
Finance |
Shading indicates the 2025 PFL Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Symbols in parentheses: (1) was a First Team Academic All-PFL selection in 2024; (2) was a Second Team Academic All-PFL selection in 2024; (3x, 4x) is a three-time or four-time First-Team Academic All-PFL honoree. |
2025 All-Pioneer Football League Second Team
|
| Student-Athlete |
School |
Year |
Pos. |
GPA |
Major |
OFFENSE
|
| Coulter Cleland |
Davidson |
Sr. |
QB |
3.45 |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Brandon Furey |
Marist |
RJr. |
OL |
3.71 |
Psychology |
| Mason Hackett |
Dayton |
Jr. |
RB |
3.42 |
Intervention Specialist |
| Ryan Iiams |
Dayton |
Sr. |
OL |
3.57 |
Management |
| Rowan Keefe |
Valparaiso |
RJr. |
QB |
3.50 |
Marketing |
| Sonny Mannino |
Marist |
RJr. |
QB |
3.34 |
Business Administration |
| Lance Martinez |
Marist |
RFr. |
WR |
3.94 |
Business Administration |
| Jack Melore |
Marist |
So. |
WR |
3.81 |
Business Administration |
| James Morrison |
St. Thomas |
Sr. |
OL |
3.63 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| Niko Paic |
Valparaiso |
RJr. |
OL |
3.75 |
Finance |
| Patrick Wagner |
St. Thomas |
Sr. |
TE |
3.61 |
Business |
DEFENSE
|
| Garrett Carter |
Marist |
Gr. |
LB |
3.85 |
Business Administration |
| Nate Fischer |
San Diego |
So. |
LB |
3.53 |
Undeclared |
| Mikah Kent |
Davidson |
Sr. |
DE |
3.43 |
Biology |
| Andrew Lieske |
Butler |
So. |
DB |
3.92 |
Finance |
| Ruben Lopez |
San Diego |
Sr. |
DB |
3.46 |
Business Administration |
| Ryan Meloche |
San Diego |
Sr. |
DB |
3.71 |
Finance |
| Onuoha Onye |
Butler |
Gr. |
DB |
3.66 |
Business Administration |
| Mateo Reyes |
Morehead State |
Sr. |
DB |
3.55 |
University Studies |
| Sam Schmiesing |
Dayton |
RSo. |
LB |
3.77 |
Accounting |
| Zeb Stroup |
Presbyterian |
Sr. |
DB |
3.67 |
Business Administration |
| Benjamin Wilson |
Drake |
Sr. |
DB |
3.59 |
Biology |
SPECIAL TEAMS
|
| Peter Lipscombe |
Presbyterian |
Sr. |
PK |
3.80 |
Business Administration |
| Thomas Schwartz V |
Morehead State |
RJr. |
PK |
3.72 |
Construction Management |
| David Maurer |
Dayton |
RJr. |
PK |
3.68
4.00 |
B.S. Business Administration
Business Administration |
| Ethan Yuska |
Marist |
So. |
P |
3.79 |
Business Administration |
| Note: Four special teams selections on the second team due to a tie in voting. |