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First Team
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Second Team
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Honorable Mention
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Complete Release - PDF
The Augustana football team had 13 players recognized on the 2009 NSIC South Division All-Conference Teams, the NSIC announced Monday. The Vikings landed three players on the first team, while four additional players were named to the second team and six earned honorable mention accolades.
A pair of repeat selections highlighted Augustana's first team picks. Juniors Joe Clark and Tyler Schulte was named to the first team offense for the second consecutive season, while senior Mike Vanasek earned a spot on the first team defense after being named to the second team in 2008.
Named to the second team offense were senior Clinton Berentschot and sophomore Sam Holsen, while junior Brady MacIver and sophomore Nick Andreas were tabbed for the second team defense.
Those earning honorable mention recognition were seniors Luke Butler and Brandon McMichael, juniors Eric Bergman, Chris Janisch and Andrew Keel and sophomore Tyler Lynch.
Clark was the South Division's leading rusher, averaging 95.3 yards per game in conference play. He scored 10 touchdowns against NSIC opponents, ranking him fourth in the league in scoring at 7.8 yards per game. Overall, Clark rushed for 1,010 yards for his second straight 1,000-yard season.
Schulte caught a team-high 42 passes for 614 yards and 7 touchdowns. He also rushed for 95 yards and 3 scores, while passing for 127 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Vanasek started all 11 games at strong safety. He was third on the team in tackles with 60, including 9.5 tackles for loss, 3 sacks and 3 pass deflections.
Berentschot, a second team all-conference selection last year, was the Vikings' starting left tackle this season. He anchored a line that helped the Vikings rank fourth in the NSIC in total offense, averaging 408.9 yards per game. The Vikings also averaged 31.0 points per contest. In addition, the offensive line allowed only 13 sacks in 11 games.
Holsen made a big splash this season. Despite missing 3 games, Holsen hauled in 33 catches for a team-high 760 yards and 12 touchdowns. He set a school single-game record with 267 yards against Wayne State. It was the second-highest receiving total in NSIC history.
Andreas makes his first appearance on the all-conference team. He collected 42 tackles, including 25 solo stops. He also had 2 sacks, 4 interceptions, 2 pass breakups and 1 fumble recovery.
MacIver, another first-time selection, recorded 41 tackles from his defensive end position. He also had 3.5 tackles for loss, including 2 sacks, 1 pass breakup and 1 fumble recovery.
Bergman, a first team all-conference honoree in 2008, was the Vikings' other defensive end. He collected 44 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss. Among those stops behind the line of scrimmage were 6.5 sacks that resulted in a loss of 49 yards. He also broke up 5 passes and recovered 1 fumble.
Butler put up impressive numbers from his quarterback position. In 10 games, Butler passed for 2,261 yards and 25 touchdowns with just 6 interceptions. A two-time NSIC Offensive Player of the Week, Butler tied a single-season school record with his 25 touchdown passes.
Janisch, a second-team all-conference pick last year, led the Vikings in tackles in 2009. He recorded 82 total tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss.
Keel, meanwhile earned honorable mention recognition for the second year in a row. He was second on the team in tackles with 81, including 7.5 tackles for loss. He also had 1 interception and 6 pass breakups.
Lynch started all 11 games at right guard on the offensive line. The Vikings averaged 174 yards rushing adn 235 yards passing per game this season.
McMichael made a triumphant return to the Viking lineup in 2009. An All-North Central Conference performer in 2007, McMichael missed the 2008 season due to injury. He returned to action this year and registered 47 tackles, which was fifth on the squad. He also had 7.5 tackles for loss, including 4 sacks.
The Vikings finished the regular season with an 8-3 overall record and they tied for third place in the NSIC with a 7-3 mark. It is the team's first back-to-back 8-win seasons since 1988-89. In addition, the 25 wins over the past 4 seasons is the best 4-year win total since the program won 27 games from 1939-42.
Augustana concludes the 2009 season on Saturday, December 5, when the Vikings take on Missouri Western State in the Mineral Water Bowl. The Vikings defeated Missouri Western State 37-16 in last year's Mineral Water Bowl.
