Jan 2, 2025

Peter Johanik and Ben Bonga named Division III All-Americans by D3football.com

Wheaton, Ill. – Wheaton Thunder defensive end Peter Johanik and wide receiver Ben Bonga have been named to the 2024 D3football.com All-America Football Team. The two selections this year gives Wheaton 50 total D3football.com All-America nods all-time among 37 different Thunder football players.

A Second Team selection by D3football.com in 2024, this is Johanik's first career All-America award. He earned his Second career All-Region award from D3football this fall and was also honored as the 2024 CCIW Co-Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year by the league. Johanik (PICTURED LEFT) led the CCIW in tackles for loss with 23 (-139 yards) and sacks with 11 (-95 yards). His average of 2.1 tackles for loss per game ranks fourth in Division III and his sacks per game average is 12th in Division III. Johanik ranked sixth in the CCIW in total tackles per game (6.7 TPG), as his 74 total tackles ranked second on the Thunder defense this season.

Johanik was named the CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week and selected to the D3football.com Team following a performance at Millikin where he recorded six tackles for loss. He made a game-high 12 total tackles, including 3.5 TFL (-14 yards) and forced a fumble in a victory at WashU as he earned a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week. Johanik made 3.5 TFL (-35 yards), including two sacks (-33 yards) in Wheaton's Isthmus Bowl victory against UW-Stout to conclude the 2024 season.

Johanik is the ninth Wheaton defensive lineman to earn All-America honors from D3football.com since the website established the award in 1999. He joins Drew Pearson and Dane Lundgren (1999); Andy Studebaker (2006); Brandon Dykstra (2012); Chase Greenlee (2016 & 2017); Dallas McRae (2019 & 2021); Patrick O'Connell (2019); and Jake Holaday (2021)

The award is Bonga's second Division III All-America award following the conclusion of Wheaton's 2024 campaign. He was named a Third Team All-American by D3football.com today, and was named a Second Team All-American last month by both the Associated Press and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). He picked up his second-consecutive All-CCIW First Team award in November, following a record-setting season where he tied Wheaton's single-season touchdown reception record with 19 touchdown catches. He caught 74 passes this season for 1,294 yards, averaging 117.6 receiving yards per game. Bonga led the CCIW in receiving yards, receiving yards per game, touchdown receptions, receptions per game, scoring (10.4 PPG), and touchdowns.

Bonga's 19 touchdown receptions ranks fifth in Division III, his 1,294 receiving yards is ninth, he is ninth in the country in receiving yards per game (117.6 YPG), and is 16th in D3 in scoring (10.4 PPG). Bonga (PICTURED RIGHT) became just the fourth Wheaton wide receiver to record 3,000 or more receiving yards in a career with his outstanding 2024 campaign, ending the season with 3,008 career receiving yards as he moved into fourth on the program's all-time receiving yards list.

He was twice recognized as the CCIW's Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week this season, earning the award on September 30, and October 14, following CCIW wins against Carroll and Illinois Wesleyan, respectively. Bonga had seven games of 100 receiving yards or more this season, and had at least one touchdown catch in 10 games this season, including five multi-TD games. He set career highs with 10 catches and 174 yards in a road win at Carroll. In a homefield victory against Illinois Wesleyan, he had eight catches for 160 yards and was one touchdown shy of Wheaton's single-game touchdown reception record with four.

Bonga is the third Wheaton wide receiver to be named an All-American by D3football.com since 1999. He joins Second Team All-America selections Brad Musso (2002) and Mark Hiben (2012).Print Friendly Version

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Originally published by Wheaton College Athletics: /news/2025/1/2/football-ben-bonga-and-peter-johanik-named-a-division-iii-all-americans.aspx