RIPON, Wis. – Monmouth was rewarded after winning its 11th MWC Championship, and third in the last four years, with a league-high 15 players named on the 2011 Midwest Conference All-Conference Football team. For the third time in his career Monmouth quarterback Alex Tanney earned high honors as the 2011 Offensive Player of the Year while Carroll linebacker Mike Dziewit was named the 2011 Defensive Player of the Year. Monmouth head coach Steve Bell earned the 2011 Coach of the Year award after leading the Fighting Scots to the MWC Championship.
Every team was represented on the 2011 All-Conference list led by Monmouth’s 15 selections (nine first team) with Carroll earning 11 overall selections (four first team). Illinois C. earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history and claimed 10 selections (four first team) while St. Norbert also had 10 selections (six first team). Lake Forest had six overall selections (two first team) with Beloit earning five and Knox (one first team) and Ripon (two first team) each placing four players. Grinnell and Lawrence round out the award winners three and one honoree, respectively.
This year was the third time that Tanney has been recognized as the Offensive Player of the Year after winning the award in both the 2008 and 2009 seasons. Tanney led a potent Monmouth offense that averaged over 49 points per contest, scoring 60 or more points in seven contests. He finished the season with the MWC lead in pass efficiency (193.3), touchdown passes (35), passing yards (3,304) and completion percentage (73%). Tanney also broke two NCAA records during the year including the all-divisions record for career touchdown passes (154) and career passing yards by a Division-III quarterback with 13,686.
Dziewit is the third Pioneer to win the Defensive Player of the Year award and the first to do so since Jeremy Winter in the 2008 season. Dziewit led a defense that finished tops in the league in total defense (205 ypg) and second against the run (135 ypg). He finished second in the league with 10.9 tackles per game and was tied for second in sacks (8.0) while having 12.5 tackles for loss. Dziewit had seven games this season with 10 or more tackles while also forcing three fumbles and intercepting three passes.
Bell wins the Coach of the Year award for the fifth time overall and third time in the last four years after leading his Fighting Scots to a 9-1 overall mark and a perfect 9-0 record in conference play. Under Bell Monmouth finished first in the conference in total offense (557 ypg) and third in total defense (367 ypg) earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in school history.
2011 MWC Award Winners
| Offensive Player of the Year |
| Alex Tanney |
Senior |
Quarterback |
Monmouth College |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
| Mike Dziewit |
Senior |
Linebacker |
Carroll University |
| Coach of the Year |
| Steve Bell |
Monmouth College |
First Team Offense
| Pos. |
Athlete |
Year |
School |
| QB |
Alex Tanney |
Senior |
Monmouth College |
| RB |
Cecil Brimmage |
Sophomore |
Illinois College |
| RB |
Trey Yocum |
Sophomore |
Monmouth College |
| RB |
Joe Beckstrand |
Senior |
Carroll University |
| TE |
David Milroy |
Senior |
Monmouth College |
| WR |
Derek Carrier |
Senior |
Beloit College |
| WR |
Kevin Davis |
Senior |
Lake Forest College |
| WR |
Mike Blodgett |
Senior |
Monmouth College |
| OL |
Aaron Walsh |
Senior |
Carroll University |
| OL |
Keith Lane |
Sophomore |
Illinois College |
| OL |
James Allen |
Senior |
Monmouth College |
| OL |
Kyle Srnka |
Senior |
Ripon College |
| OL |
Tyler Kuehl |
Senior |
St. Norbert College |
| K |
Jake Gahart |
Junior |
Ripon College |
| RS |
Keith Hunter |
Junior |
Illinois College |
First Team Defense
| Pos. |
Athlete |
Year |
School |
| DL |
Josh Zank |
Junior |
Carroll University |
| DL |
Mike Kettmann |
Senior |
Monmouth College |
| DL |
Dan Hansmann |
Senior |
St. Norbert College |
| DL |
Josh Troyer |
Senior |
St. Norbert College |
| LB |
Mike Dziewit |
Senior |
Carroll University |
| LB |
Mike Hendrick |
Junior |
Knox College |
| LB |
Adam Hoste |
Senior |
Monmouth College |
| LB |
Ben Nantell |
Senior |
St. Norbert College |
| DB |
Luke Butts |
Senior |
Lake Forest College |
| DB |
Shane Reschke |
Senior |
Monmouth College |
| DB |
Austin Arts |
Junior |
St. Norbert College |
| DB |
Eric Fisher |
Senior |
Illinois College |
| P |
Brik Wedekind |
Sophomore |
Monmouth College |
| ST |
Logan Krueger |
Senior |
St. Norbert College |
Second Team Offense
| Pos. |
Athlete |
Year |
School |
|
QB
|
Pete Scaffidi |
Junior |
Lake Forest College |
| RB |
Terence Steward |
Senior |
Beloit College |
| RB |
Al Mitchell |
Junior |
Lake Forest College |
| RB |
T.J. Pierce |
Senior |
Ripon College |
| TE |
Beau LeFevre |
Senior |
Carroll University |
| WR |
Robert Seer |
Senior |
Grinnell College |
| WR |
Brock Thompson |
Senior |
Illinois College |
| WR |
Joe Green |
Junior |
St. Norbert College |
| OL |
Hayden Simonis |
Sophomore |
Beloit College |
| OL |
Joe Evanchik |
Senior |
Carroll University |
| OL |
Chris Jarmon |
Senior |
Grinnell College |
| OL |
Jordan Willits |
Sophomore |
Knox College |
| OL |
Gil Munoz |
Senior |
Lake Forest College |
| K |
Matt Batton |
Junior |
Monmouth College |
| RS |
Joe Green |
Junior |
St. Norbert College |
Second Team Defense
| Pos. |
Athlete |
Year |
School |
| DL |
Brian Taylor |
Junior |
Grinnell College |
| DL |
Michael Ray |
Sophomore |
Illinois College |
| DL |
Casey Flynn |
Senior |
Lake Forest College |
| DL |
Matt Switzler |
Senior |
Ripon College |
| LB |
Dave Paczkowski |
Senior |
Carroll University |
| LB |
Jake DeFauw |
Senior |
Illinois College |
| LB |
Rod Ojong |
Senior |
Monmouth College |
| LB |
Adam Nitsche |
Junior |
St. Norbert College |
| DB |
Vince Salucci |
Senior |
Beloit College |
| DB |
Shaun Banta |
Senior |
Carroll University |
| DB |
Dylan DeFauw |
Junior |
Illinois College |
| DB |
Josh Vanden Heuvel |
Junior |
St. Norbert College |
| P |
Doug Lillibridge |
Junior |
Knox College |
| ST |
Nick Law |
Senior |
Monmouth College |
Honorable Mention Offense
| Pos. |
Athlete |
Year |
School |
| RB |
Derek Mortensen |
Sophomore |
Knox College |
| WR |
Tyler Mazur |
Junior |
Lawrence University |
| OL |
John Fink |
Junior |
Illinois College |
| OL |
Todd Groth |
Junior |
Monmouth College |
| OL |
Matt Wright |
Senior |
Monmouth College |
Honorable Mention Defense
| Pos. |
Athlete |
Year |
School |
| DL |
Bryan Larson |
Sophomore |
Carroll University |
| DL |
Stephen Odarczenko |
Senior |
Illinois College |
| LB |
Zach Bock |
Junior |
Beloit College |
| LB |
Preston Lumzy |
Freshman |
Monmouth College |
| DB |
Neal Layng |
Junior |
Carroll University |
| P |
Andrew Volkmann |
Senior |
Carroll University |
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