By COURTLIN HAYGARTH | HSU Sports Network

TOPEKA, Kan. – Henderson State senior wide receiver Xavier Malone, sophomore running back Korien Burrell and senior tight end Mike Benning were named D2CCA All-Super Region Three honorees Thursday afternoon. Three recipients of the regional award are the most for HSU since 2016 when the Reddies landed eight on the All-Region teams.

Among all the schools represented for the All-Super Region Three honors, Henderson was tied for fifth with three honorees and tied for the second most recipients of any GAC school. Ouachita Baptist led all programs with seven winners while conference-foes Harding and East Central each also had three All-Region nods.

Malone earned First Team honors for his historic season as he highlights the third consecutive year Henderson has produced a First-Team All-Super Region Three recipient. The Mound Bayou, Mississippi native’s historic season consisted of a unanimous 2022 First Team All-GAC selection while catching 67 passes for 1382 yards and 15 touchdowns in 11 regular season games. Malone was one of just two players in all of NCAA DII during the regular season with 1300 or more receiving yards and 15 or more receiving touchdowns.

In just two years with the program, Malone has written his name all over the HSU record books. The former Northeast Mississippi Community College transfer now owns the third most receiving yards all-time in a single season (1382), is third in program history with 2352 career receiving yards, fourth in career receiving touchdowns (18) and fifth with 135 career receptions. During the season, Malone became the first Henderson receiver since 2000 to have four consecutive games of 100-plus receiving yards and the first player since 2013 to post three straight multi-touchdown receiving games.  

Burrell received Second Team All-Region honors as he became the first Reddie to eclipse 1000 rushing yards since 2015 with 1064 yards and 14 rushing touchdowns. Both of those marks put the 2022 Second Team All-GAC recipient eighth and fifth, respectively, among all-time single season performances in program history. Among the current 29 1000-yard rushers across Division II this season, Burrell’s 175 carries is the third fewest as his 6.08 yards per carry ranks 21st in DII. 

Benning joined Burrell on the All-Region Second Team with 317 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 28 receptions in his final season with HSU. The Chattanooga, Tennessee native, who also landed on the All-GAC Second Team, filled the No. 2 spot for the Henderson receiving corps, finishing second on the team in yards and receptions while placing third in scores.