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For Immediate ReleaseFootball -- Aug. 29, 2011
Senior Trio Earns Preseason All-America Honors
MARLTON, N.J. – Eureka College seniors Alex Hess (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S.), Mike Minehan (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S./McKendree) and Wes Schmidgall (Eureka, Ill./Eureka H.S./Culver-Stockton) have each been selected to the D3PRODAY.com Preseason All-America Third Team, according to an announcement from the website on Friday. More than 100 NCAA Division III football student-athletes earned the honor.
After a breakout junior season that included an All-Upper Midwest Athletic Conference selection at tight end, Hess will return for his senior season as one of Eureka’s most experienced players. The versatile Hess has made 59 catches for 694 yards and three touchdowns through his first 20 games for the Red Devils. He also proved to be threat in the red zone as the Red Devils’ fullback, carrying 28 times and scoring a team-best four rushing touchdowns last season. Hess wrapped his two-year Eureka baseball career last spring and was a two-time All-St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference at catcher.
Schmidgall will enter his third season with the Red Devils as the active Eureka career leader with 123 receptions, 2,384 yards and 27 touchdowns. He is a two-time UMAC First Team selection and provides a deep threat for the Red Devils. Like Hess, Schmidgall has been a two-sport student-athlete since arriving on campus in the fall of 2009, and his leap of 21 feet won the long jump at the 2011 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Track & Field Invitational last April in Jacksonville, Ill.
Minehan returns to anchor the Eureka secondary after finishing second in the UMAC with 121 total tackles and picking up two interceptions to earn All-UMAC First team accolades a year ago. His 24 total tackles versus Minnesota-Morris last season were the fourth-most by a Division III player in a single game all season. In addition to his presence in Eureka’s defensive backfield, Minehan has been the top Eureka kick returner over the previous two seasons, taking 47 kickoffs for 994 yards since the beginning of the 2009 season.
The Eureka trio joined Minnesota-Morris running back Todd Gramenz as the only players from UMAC schools to be named to the Preseason All-America squads.
D3PRODAY.com is the nation’s first and only Division III Pro Day and Combine for seniors after the regular season. D3PRODAY.com Preseason All-Americans represent the board’s best seniors in Division III. The selection board is made up of pro scouts, NFL and CFL agents and former NFL coaches and players.
The Red Devils open their 108th season this Saturday night at Benedictine in Lisle, Ill. Kickoff against the Eagles is scheduled for 7 p.m. as the Village of Lisle-Benedictine University Sports Complex.
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For More Information Contact:
Bryan Moore
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