Tiger Football Receives 13 All-GPAC Honors

MITCHELL, S.D. – The Dakota Wesleyan University football team recently completed the 2014 season and the team took home several individual honors with the announcement of the Great Plains Athletic Conference awards.

Thirteen Tigers were awarded All-GPAC honors, it was announced Tuesday, including four players on the league's First Team.

Leading the way was senior running back Francois Barnaud (Belle Fourche, S.D.) who was named to the All-GPAC First Team Offense after a standout final season with DWU. It is the second straight honor for Barnaud, who finished the 2014 season with 1,409 yards rushing, the second most in school histo0ry, behind only the mark of 1,893 he set as a junior. He added 14 touchdowns while carrying the ball 256 times for the Tigers, who finished the season 7-4.

Joining Barnaud on the First Team Offense was Kyle Hencke (Sturgis, S.D.). Hencke played in all 11 games for the Tiger offensive line in 2014, helping the DWU rushing attack pile up 2,109 yards as a team. Hencke was on the All-GPAC Second Team Offense as a junior and was named an honorable mention as a sophomore.

The Tigers also had two members of the All-GPAC First Team Defense, including junior linebacker Brady Bonte (Garretson, S.D.). Bonte led the Tigers in tackles in 2014 with 83 total tackles, including 22 tackles for a loss. He was also tied for the team lead with five sacks and recovered a fumble. This is the second straight First-Team selection for Bonte.

Junior defensive back Tanner Munk (Dell Rapids, S.D.) was a leader for the Tiger defensive backfield in 2014 and he also earned a spot on the All-GPAC First Team Defense. Munk finished third on the team with 73 tackles, including seven for a loss. He tied for the team lead with four interceptions and broke up 18 passes. Munk was an All-GPAC honorable mention in 2013.

The All-GPAC Second Team Offense included senior offensive lineman Jake Verry (Wernersville, Pa.). Verry has played a significant role for the Tiger offensive line over the last four seasons, as DWU running backs have continued to set new benchmarks for success. This is the second straight selection for Verry to the All-GPAC Second Team.

The Second Team Defense has three Tigers, including senior linebacker Anthony Cervantes (Burbank, Calif.). He finished second on the team with 79 tackles, including 15 for a loss. He added four interceptions, highlighted by one he took back for a touchdown against Briar Cliff University early in the season. Cervantes was named an All-GPAC Honorable Mention the prior two seasons.

Despite missing the second half of the season with a leg injury, senior linebacker Jeff Maassen (Brandon, S.D.) did enough to impress voters and was named to the All-GPAC Second Team Defense. Maassen finished with 60 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss, one sack and one recovered fumble in seven games this season. Maassen was named an All-GPAC Honorable Mention his first three seasons as a Tiger.

Junior safety Jared Van Winkle (Tyndall, S.D.) was a force in the Tiger secondary in 2014, earning All-GPAC Second Team honors. He racked up a season high 14 tackles against Morningside and intercepted two passes against Doane College this season. He was fifth on the team with 68 tackles and added three interceptions.

The Tigers had five players named All-GPAC Honorable Mentions in 2014, including sophomore defensive lineman Brady Mudder (Garretson, S.D.), senior offensive lineman Spencer Bloch (Scotland, S.D.), junior defensive lineman Sam Kiger (Irene, S.D.), sophomore wide receiver/punt return specialist Dustin Livingston (Irene, S.D.) and junior tight end Trevor Schroeder (Canistota, S.D.).