Twelve Polar Bears named Academic All-Conference in Football
By Tim Glon
ADA — Twelve Ohio Northern student-athletes were named Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference in football for the 2017 season.
Three seniors, Cyler Caldwell (Wadsworth), Landry Hostetler (Strasburg/Strasburg-Franklin) and Carter Kemper (Mariemont) earned the award.
Seven in the junior class, including Ethan Edwards (Urbana), Joe French (Elgin, Ill./St. Edward Central Catholic), Austin Jensen (Mason), Matt Laubscher (Solon), Brenden Medina (Oberlin), Sam Shook (New Philadelphia) and Kurt Wollenhaupt (Delphos/Jefferson), received the honor.
Sophomore Ethan Hale (Galena/Big Walnut) and Anthony McFadden (Chillicothe/Paint Valley) also earned the award.
The award winners must be a sophomore or higher in class standing, maintain varsity status and have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 3.50.
Caldwell, a defensive back majoring in mechanical engineering, started all 10 games at corner back this season and had 14 starts in his career.
He was fifth on the team with 52 tackles and had two interceptions.
Caldwell ended his career with 97 tackles and two interceptions in 40 games.
Hostetler started nine games at linebacker this year and is a mechanical engineering major.
He was eighth on the team this season with 37 tackles and was third with 5.5 tackles for loss.
In 25 career games, Hostetler had 61 tackles 1 sack, 10 TFL and a blocked kick.
Kemper is a two-year starter at tackle and is majoring in mechanical engineering.
He started the first two games at right tackle this season before an injury ended his season prematurely.
Edwards played in all 10 games as a reserve receiver and on special teams this fall.
He is a criminal justice major.
French is a place kicker majoring in marketing.
He scored 10 points in three games this season, going 10-for-11 on PATs and 0-for-2 on field goals this year.
Last season, French set an ONU single-season record by kicking 12 field goals in 2016.
He will enter his senior season with 82 points in 13 career games, going 12-o=for-18 on field goals and 42-for-46 on PATs.
Jensen played in four games on special teams this season and had one tackle.
He is a receiver majoring in accounting.
Laubscher, a quarterback majoring in accounting, saw action in eight games this season.
A versatile player, he serves as the holder for place kicks and is also a reserve quarterback and reserve long snapper.
Medina is a defensive back majoring in accounting.
He has played in two varsity games in his career on special teams and has one career tackle.
Shook started the first four games this season at left tackle before an injury ended his season early.
An accounting major, Shook is a two-year starter with 17 games and 16 starts to his credit.
Wollenhaupt played in seven games this season at receiver and on special teams after switching from place kicking after his sophomore year.
He is an exercise physiology major.
Hale played in six games this season in a reserve role on the offensive line and on special teams.
He is a criminal justice major at Ohio Northern.
McFadden, a pharmacy major, saw six games with two starts at quarterback this season.
He completed 25-of-39 passes for 406 yards and six touchdowns and ran 32 times for 176 yards and three more scores.
In his first career start, he threw for 283 yards and 5 TDs and ran 12 times for 45 yards and a touchdown in a 49-45 win at Wilmington.
The Polar Bears finished with a 7-3 record and were second in the OAC with a 6-3 mark in 2017 under 14th-year head coach Dean Paul.