Wheeler, Rentschler Earn Academic All-PFL First Team; Latsonas Achieves Second Team
A trio of Valparaiso University football players were recognized for their accomplishments both in the classroom and in competition as the Pioneer Football League released its all-academic teams on Wednesday.
Senior LB/DL Mike Wheeler (Fullerton, Calif. / La Habra) and senior offensive lineman Eric Rentschler (Highland, Ind. / Highland) were named to the Academic All-PFL First Team, while junior kicker Dimitrios Latsonas (Westmont, Ill. / Westmont) was named to the Academic All-PFL Second Team.
Wheeler, who owns a 3.80 GPA in economics, was second on the team in tackles for loss with 7.5 for 22 yards including three sacks for 14 yards. He racked up 52 tackles over 11 games, highlighted by a career-high 13 tackles in a Nov. 10 win over Jacksonville on Senior Day at Brown Field. Wheeler was named the team’s Defensive Player of the Week following that showing against the Dolphins. In addition, the senior had 2.5 tackles for loss on Nov. 3 at Marist, equaling the most by a Valpo player in a single game since 2015. Off the field, he is the Co-President of Valpo’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes. This marks the second straight day Wheeler has received a league honor, as he was named All-PFL Honorable Mention on Tuesday.
Rentschler is a repeat honoree, this time nabbing a place on the first team after being named to the Academic All-PFL Second Team as a junior. The senior computer engineering major owns a 3.74 grade point average. He played in the final 36 games of his collegiate career and was a member of an experienced Valpo offensive line as a senior. Rentschler, a local to Northwest Indiana, was inducted into Order of Omega national Greek leadership honor society this year.
Latsonas holds a 3.35 grade point average in physical education teaching. A 2017 All-PFL Honorable Mention recipient, Latsonas made a 50-yard field goal in the season finale at Stetson, outdoing his previous personal best of 44 and converting the longest field goal by a PFL kicker this season. In addition, that was just the 26th made field goal of 50 yards or longer in the Division I FCS nation this season and the longest field goal by a Valpo kicker since 2003. In addition, Latsonas shattered his own record for made extra points in a single season with 36 this year. He previously set the school record with 35 in 2017.
2018 PFL Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Tucker Yinger, Dayton
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2018 Academic All-Pioneer Football League First Team |
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(as selected by PFL athletics communications directors) |
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Student-Athlete |
School |
Class. |
Pos |
GPA |
Major (Minor) |
|
OFFENSE |
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|
Jacob Bacon (1) |
Drake |
Jr. |
OL |
3.94 |
Actuarial Science & Finance |
|
Dane Cordell |
Jacksonville |
RSo. |
OL |
3.88 |
Accounting |
|
Steven Doran |
Drake |
Sr. |
WR |
3.40 |
Physics & Astronomy |
|
Nic Duch (2) |
Jacksonville |
RSr. |
WR |
3.89 |
Finance |
|
Isaiah Kent-Schneider |
Drake |
Sr. |
OL |
3.98 |
Environmental Science & Secondary Education |
|
Anthony Lawrence (3x, 1) |
San Diego |
RSr. |
QB |
3.61 |
Accountancy |
|
Will Marty (2) |
Butler |
RSr. |
QB |
3.55 |
Marketing |
|
Jake Michaels (1) |
San Diego |
RJr. |
OL |
3.66 |
Biology |
|
Eric Rentschler (2) |
Valparaiso |
Sr. |
OL |
3.74 |
Computer Engineering |
|
Brad Sznajder |
Butler |
RJr. |
RB |
3.89 |
Finance |
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Tucker Yinger (4x, 1) |
Dayton |
RSr. |
RB |
3.81 |
Mechanical Engineering |
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DEFENSE |
|
|
|
|
|
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Nathan Clayberg (3x, 1) |
Drake |
Sr. |
DL |
3.76 |
Accounting & Finance |
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David Leisring (3x, 1) |
Dayton |
Sr. |
DB |
3.74 |
Finance |
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Jack Michael |
San Diego |
RJr. |
DB |
3.80 |
Accountancy & Finance |
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Carter Raleigh |
Butler |
Sr. |
LB |
3.70 |
Finance |
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Luke Sennett |
Butler |
RJr. |
DB |
3.66 |
Finance |
|
Kieran Severa |
Drake |
Sr. |
LB |
3.55 |
Health Sciences-Clinical |
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Isaac Sexton (1) |
Dayton |
Sr. |
DL |
3.94 |
Chemical Engineering |
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Tim Simon (1) |
Dayton |
RSo. |
DB |
3.81 |
Mechanical Engineering |
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Connor Spencer (1) |
San Diego |
RSr. |
DL |
3.81 |
Electrical Engineering |
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Regis Steighner |
Stetson |
RJr. |
DL |
3.93 |
Economics |
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Mike Wheeler |
Valparaiso |
Sr. |
LB |
3.80 |
Economics |
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SPECIAL TEAMS |
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Drew Bevelhimer |
Butler |
Jr. |
K |
3.47 |
Spanish |
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Jonny Messina (1) |
Stetson |
RSo. |
K |
3.73 |
Health Science |
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Matt Tunnacliffe |
Dayton |
Sr. |
LS |
3.49 |
Finance & Entrepreneurship |
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Notes in parentheses: 3x – player is a three-time first-team Academic All-PFL selection; 1-was a first-team selection in 2017; 2-was a second-team selection in 2017. |
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2018 Academic All-Pioneer Football League Second Team |
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Student-Athlete |
School |
Class |
Pos. |
GPA |
Major (Minor) |
|
OFFENSE |
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Brad Alexander |
Stetson |
So. |
OL |
3.79 |
History |
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Ben Gauthier |
Dayton |
Sr. |
OL |
3.32 |
Adolescence To Young Adult Education |
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Peter Greubel |
Stetson |
So. |
OL |
3.96 |
Public Health |
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Jarin Higginbotham |
Morehead State |
Sr. |
WR |
3.38 |
Exercise Science |
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Colin McGovern |
Stetson |
Sr. |
QB |
3.36 |
Sport Business |
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Brandon Micale |
San Diego |
So. |
FB |
3.97 |
Undeclared |
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Nathan Sames |
Morehead State |
Sr. |
WR |
3.43 |
Engineering Technology Design |
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Dakota Sneed |
Butler |
RSr. |
OL |
3.48 |
Science, Technology and Society |
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Chris Tremblay |
Jacksonville |
Jr. |
OL |
3.53 |
Engineering, Dual Degree |
|
Rich Warfield |
Dayton |
RFr. |
RB |
3.97 |
Marketing |
|
Dan Wittekind |
Marist |
Jr. |
OL |
3.36 |
Communication |
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DEFENSE |
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Jacob Bergstrom |
San Diego |
RSo. |
DL |
3.60 |
Finance |
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Anthony Best |
Dayton |
RFr. |
LB |
3.97 |
Engineering |
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Grant Dixon |
Marist |
RSo. |
LB |
3.62 |
Business Administration |
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Jack Griffith |
Marist |
RSo. |
DB |
3.75 |
Communication |
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Sayyid Kanu |
Morehead State |
Sr. |
DB |
3.33 |
Radiology |
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Andrew McElroy |
Marist |
RJr. |
DB |
3.62 |
Business Administration |
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Michael Perera |
Jacksonville |
RJr. |
LB |
3.82 |
Finance |
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Peter Read |
Drake |
Sr. |
DL |
3.84 |
Health Sciences-Clinical |
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Nick Surges |
Dayton |
RSr. |
DL |
3.35 |
Finance |
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Terry Wallen |
Drake |
Sr. |
DB |
3.60 |
Finance |
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Jacob Wittwer |
San Diego |
RSr. |
DL |
3.57 |
Political Science/English |
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SPECIAL TEAMS |
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Kyle Butz |
Dayton |
RSo. |
RS |
3.49 |
Sport Management |
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Dimitrios Latsonas |
Valparaiso |
Jr. |
K |
3.35 |
Physical Education Teaching |
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Michael Matthews |
Davidson |
Sr. |
K |
3.36 |
Biology |
