The Mound Westonka High School football team was recently selected by the Minnesota Football Coaches Association as a 2023 Academic All-State Silver Team. In order to earn Academic All-State Silver honors, a team’s entire varsity roster must have a cumulative team GPA of 3.0 or higher. The White Hawks boast a 3.18 cumulative team GPA. This is the seventh time in Coach Nick David’s 11 seasons at the helm that the White Hawks football team has earned the distinguished ​honor of being selected as an Academic All-State Gold or Silver Team.

In addition to the team recognition, senior captain Jaaron Konkel was selected to the Individual Class ​4A Academic All-State Football Team. Academic All-State team members must be a senior varsity letterman for the current season who are starters on offense, defense, or special teams. Selected players must have outstanding football and leadership abilities in addition to academic excellence. They must carry a 3.0 (4.0 scale) grade point average in an academic core curriculum in their sophomore, junior, and first quarter of their senior years and must not have any Minnesota State High School League eligibility penalties or infractions during their high school careers.

Konkel carries a 3.99 cumulative GPA and excelled on the football field throughout his career, earning All-District Honorable Mention accolades in 2023. Konkel also was a team captain, a three-year starter, and a three-year letterwinner. Konkel finished his outstanding White Hawks football career defensively with 104 total tackles, four TFLs, one QB sack, four fumble recoveries, and two defensive TDs. Offensively, Konkel played a pivotal role as a lead blocker, and he also hauled in one reception for 1 yard and had 13 rushes for 82 yards.

Off the football field, Konkel is involved in basketball, track and field, band/pep band and National Honor Society. Konkel, though currently undecided, is planning on continuing his education and football career next fall.