Wheaton leads the way with nine D3football.com All-North Region selections
Wheaton, Ill. – D3football.com announced its 2016 All-North Region Team on Monday evening and the Wheaton College football program was well-represented on the squad. Nine members of the Thunder earned All-Region recognition, the most of any North Region program. Wheaton's nine All-Region selections is tied for the most the program has earned in a single season since the website began its All-Region awards in 2005. Wheaton also had nine All-Region performers in 2015.
The Thunder placed four players on the 2016 First Team unit, with two members on the Second Team and three Wheaton players earned Third Team recognition. Five members of the Thunder defense earned All-North Region honors and four of Wheaton's offensive players earned the recognition.
The Thunder defense produced two First Team honorees as linebacker Caleb Ashby and defensive end Chase Greenlee each earned the recognition. Ashby, the 2016 CCIW Defensive Player of the Year, recorded 86 total tackles this season, including 47 solo stops. The senior registered 16-1/2 tackles for lost yardage (-80 yards), including 10 sacks (-67 yards). His 10 sacks is tied for seventh on Wheaton's single-season sacks list. Ashby finished second on the Thunder defense in total tackles, tackles for loss and quarterback sacks.
Greenlee led Wheaton with 14 sacks (-79 yards) this year, a mark that is tied for third on Wheaton's single-season sacks list. He registered 19 tackles for loss (-98 yards) in 2016 and tallied 61 total tackles. The junior's 14 sacks this season is fourth among all Division III players and his 19 tackles for loss is 16th in Division III.
Tight end Zach Lindquist earned First Team honors this season. Lindquist is now a two-time All-Region selection, following Second Team recognition in 2015. The senior caught 42 passes this year, with 422 receiving yards. Lindquist averaged 10.0 yards per catch in 2016 and snagged six touchdown receptions.
Two members of the Thunder offensive line earned All-Region as Peter Gibson was a First Team selection at guard and Kyler Kregel picked up Second Team honors at center. Gibson, a Second Team All-Region honoree in 2015, is a repeat All-Region pick with his First Team recognition in 2016. Kregel is a first-time honoree at center with this year's Second Team nod. Gibson and Kregel anchored a balanced Wheaton offensive line that helped the Thunder offense average 417.9 yards per game. Wheaton averaged 252.9 passing yards this season and ran for 165.0 yards per contest.
Defensive tackle Patrick O'Connell earned Second Team All-Region recognition. O'Connell is in his first campaign at Wheaton after transferring into the Thunder program following a redshirt freshman season at Ball State University in 2015. O'Connell recorded 12 tackles for lost yardage (-57 yards) this year, including seven quarterback sacks (-43 yards). O'Connell tallied 36 total tackles in 2016, including 19 solo stops.
Defensive backs Tyler Sigler and Marcus Smith each earned Third Team All-North Region honors. Sigler recorded 46 total tackles in 2016, playing at both safety and cornerback. The junior registered 34 solo tackles; he ranked second on the Thunder defense with 11 passes broken-up and snatched two interceptions. Smith, a junior, registered 58 total tackles this season with 40 solo stops. Smith recorded two interceptions this season and led the Thunder with 13 passes broken-up.
Running back Sola Olateju was a Third Team All-North Region honoree. Olateju ran for 957 yards this season on 181 carries, averaging 5.3 yards per rush. The junior caught 23 passes for 190 yards on the year. He reached the end zone on nine touchdown runs this year and recorded 1,147 all-purpose yards for the Thunder offense.
ALL-NORTH REGION PHOTO GALLERY
Originally published by Wheaton College Athletics: /news/2016/12/5/d3football-all-region.aspx