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INDIANAPOLIS – The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) announced Wednesday the 18 student-athletes who have been selected to attend the 2015 GLVC Football Kickoff, which will take place in Lebanon, Illinois on Friday, July 31. The GLVC contingent, highlighted by nine All-Conference returners combining for 18 career postseason honors, will participate in the fourth annual event.
The 2015 GLVC Football Kickoff will take place at The Hettenhausen Center for the Arts on the campus of McKendree University from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. CT, and will serve both the league’s media members and passionate fans through several social media outlets.
The head coach and two student-athletes from each of the nine GLVC football institutions will be on hand to help promote the conference’s fourth season.
Six first-team All-GLVC honorees will be in attendance, including University of Indianapolis senior defensive lineman Lee Campbell and Saint Joseph’s College senior running back Braxton Shelton, who earned first-team annals at their respective positions the past two years. The remaining first-team selections in attendance include one of the nation’s top wide receivers in Southwest Baptist University senior Nathan Mourik, McKendree junior linebacker A.J. Wentland, William Jewell College senior offensive lineman Brandon Klewer, and UIndy senior quarterback Connor Barthel, who was a first-team signal caller in 2013 and a second-team selection last season. Klewer and Wentland were also second-team honorees at their positions in 2013.
Quincy University senior fullback Greg Eilerman returns as a second-team offensive utility pick in 2014, while Lincoln University senior quarterback Owen Jordan was tabbed as an honorable mention.
McKendree senior wide receiver Cameron James holds special distinction within the group, as he has been recognized every year since the league began sponsoring the sport in 2012. James earned second-team laurels at running back in 2012 and was honored at both wide receiver and return specialist following the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
Also in attendance will be Lincoln senior linebacker Treston Pulley, Missouri S&T sophomore quarterback Lamar Wilkes and junior linebacker Rob Cidlik, Quincy junior defensive end Tanner Day, Saint Joseph’s senior defensive back Jamyl Scott, Southwest Baptist senior defensive tackle Josh Caver, Truman State University senior offensive lineman Brad Hardin and senior defensive end Devin Gillespie, and William Jewell junior defensive lineman Aaron Neier.
Fans are encouraged to participate in the event through a variety of social media platforms, and interact with each GLVC school as they rotate through stations over the course of the 90-minute event. A complete schedule, as well as the official GLVC Football Kickoff 2014 website, will be announced on Tuesday, July 28.
Media members interested in attending the 2015 GLVC Football Kickoff can apply for credentials by contacting GLVC Associate Commissioner Jeff Smith at
jeff@glvc-sports.org.
A complete list of 2015 GLVC Football Kickoff player attendees follows:
|
School |
Offensive Player Attendees |
Defensive Player Attendees |
|
Indianapolis |
Connor Barthel, Sr., QB (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral) |
Lee Campbell, Sr., DL (Greenwood, IN/Greenwood) |
|
Lincoln |
Owen Jordan, Sr., QB (Fort Scott, KS/Pittsburg State) |
Treston Pulley, Sr., LB (Sikeston, MO/Sikeston) |
|
McKendree |
Cameron James, Sr., WR (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) |
A.J. Wentland, Jr., LB (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem) |
|
Missouri S&T |
Lamar Wilkes, So., QB (Maryland Heights, MO/Pattonville) |
Rob Cidlik, Jr., LB (Eureka, MO/Eureka) |
|
Quincy |
Greg Eilerman, Sr., FB (Fenton, MO/St. John Vianney) |
Tanner Day, R-Jr., DE (O’Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) |
|
Saint Joseph’s |
Braxton Shelton, Sr., RB (Kokomo, IN/Kokomo) |
Jamyl Scott, Sr., DB (Hamilton, OH/Fairfield) |
|
Southwest Baptist |
Nathan Mourik, Sr., WR (Pasadena, TX/Pasadena Memorial) |
Josh Caver, Sr., DT (Pasadena, TX/Pasadena Memorial) |
|
Truman State |
Brad Hardin, Sr., OL (O’Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) |
Devin Gillespie, Sr., DE (St. Louis, MO/Hazelwood Central) |
|
William Jewell |
Brandon Klewer, Sr., OL (Kansas City, MO/Lee’s Summit West) |
Aaron Neier, Jr., DL (Washington, MO/St. Francis Borgia) |
INDIANAPOLIS
Connor Barthel, Sr., QB (Indianapolis, IN/Cathedral)
After starting the previous year and a half at quarterback, Barthel enters his senior season as the incumbent QB for the Hounds in 2015. A native of Indianapolis, the 6-3, 225-pound signal caller starts his final year with a career 66.1 completion percentage and career 151.1 pass efficiency rating. Both numbers are good for UIndy records, with the former good for second among all active Division II quarterbacks. He was an All-GLVC Second Team selection last season after picking up first-team honors in 2013. Barthel’s top target will be 2014 GLVC Offensive Player of the Year Reece Horn (68 rec, 1046 yds, 12 TD). The two have been hooking up for the better part of a decade as they were teammates at local Cathedral High School, both starring on the Irish’s 2010 state championship team as seniors.
Lee Campbell, Sr., DL (Greenwood, IN/Greenwood)
The Greyhounds return their top pass rusher in Campbell. The imposing 6-2, 300-pounder racked up career highs in tackles for a loss (10.5) and sacks (4.5) last season, both tops on the team. Campbell hails from nearby Greenwood, Indiana, and was a team captain as a junior in 2014. He is a two-time All-GLVC First Team honoree.
LINCOLN
Owen Jordan, Sr., QB (Fort Scott, KS/Pittsburg State)
After beginning the season as the second-string quarterback, Jordan ended up starting 10 games at quarterback and throwing for 1,867 yards, completing 160 of his 288 pass attempts (.556) in the process. Jordan threw 12 touchdown passes and ended the season ranked sixth in the GLVC in average (186.7) and seventh in efficiency (115.7). Jordan also proved he could make plays with his feet, rushing for 79 yards and two scores. Jordan ended the season on the All-GLVC Honorable Mention list.
Treston Pulley, Sr., LB (Sikeston, MO/Sikeston)
One of the leaders of the Lincoln defense in 2014, Pulley made 83 tackles, including 50 solo, the second-most on the team. Pulley was also second on the squad with 14.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, forcing opponents to lose 34 yards. Pulley additionally broke up two passes.
MCKENDREE
Cameron James, Sr., WR (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville)
James started his McKendree career at running back but was moved to a wide receiver/slot back role prior to his sophomore season. After leading the Bearcats in rushing as a freshman, James has taken to his new role outside the tackles while providing a spark as well on special teams. James enters his senior season ranked among the program’s all-time leaders in most receiving and return categories. He is second in pass receptions with 99, and needs just six to claim the top spot in the category. James is also fourth on the Bearcats’ career chart for receiving yards (980) and receiving touchdowns (9). In addition, his 120 points scored over three years ranks seventh among all McKendree players by scoring for a non-kicker. James is the career leader in kickoff returns at McKendree with 52, while his 1,151 kick return yards ranks second in program history. James also sits the Bearcats’ top five all-time in punt returns (39) and punt return yards (498), while his 3,474 all-purpose yards currently ranks third on the team’s career chart. James is a five-time All-GLVC honoree, earning second-team honors in each of his three seasons on the gridiron for McKendree.
A.J. Wentland, Jr., LB (Machesney Park, IL/Harlem)
After serving a valuable role on special teams and as a reserve linebacker during his freshman season in 2013, Wentland put together one of the most memorable seasons ever by a McKendree defensive player in 2014. Anchoring the Bearcats’ lineup from his middle linebacker slot, Wentland piled up a school-record 132 tackles as a sophomore. He steamed by the previous record of 108 stops set by Brandon Nigro back in 2011. Wentland recorded at least 10 tackles in a game in 10 of McKendree’s 11 contests a year ago, including each of the first seven games. He set a career-high with 17 stops in a home victory against William Jewell. Seven of Wentland’s tackles on the season went for loss, including 2 ½ quarterback sacks. He also tied for the team lead with two interceptions and had four pass deflections. For his efforts, Wentland was one of three Bearcats to earn first-team All-GLVC honors in 2014. He also grabbed third-team All-America accolades from College Football USA.
MISSOURI S&T
Lamar Wilkes, So., QB (Maryland Heights, MO/Pattonville)
Wilkes started the final eight games of the 2014 season for the Miners as a true freshman, completing 79-of-182 passes for 965 yards and six touchdowns while accumulating 1,014 yards of total offense. In his first collegiate start at Southwest Baptist on Sept. 27, he became the second freshman in school history to threw for 300 yards in a game and earned the GLVC’s “Offensive Player of the Week” award in the process. Wilkes also threw for 221 yards against William Jewell and tied the GLVC record for the longest touchdown pass in league history. The 95-yard pass was also the longest play from scrimmage in the history of the S&T football program.
Rob Cidlik, Jr., LB (Eureka, MO/Eureka)
Cidlik was a starter at linebacker for the Miners during the 2014 season, when he recorded 23 tackles (14 solo stops) before his season was cut short due to an injury. He posted a season-high nine tackles at Midwestern State and also had a pass breakup in that contest, while making six tackles in games against Chadron State and Truman State. As a redshirt freshman in 2013, he finished with 17 tackles which included a sack and two tackles for a loss. Cidlik has also seen playing time as a fullback on the offensive side of the ball, scoring two touchdowns in 2013 – one rushing and one receiving – and had eight yards on two carries a year ago.
QUINCY
Greg Eilerman, Sr., FB (Fenton, MO/St. John Vianney)
Eilerman is a four-year starter at fullback and a two-year captain for the Hawks. He is a two-time All-GLVC performer, including a second team citation last year. Out of the I-formation, Eilerman was the lead blocker for last season’s GLVC Freshman of the Year, Chris Harris, who finished with 974 yards and 17 touchdowns. Eilerman caught eight passes out of the backfield for 104 yards and a touchdown.
Tanner Day, R-Jr., DE (O’Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West)
Day recorded 38 tackles (22 solo) in 11 games last year, his second on the field for the Hawks. He was named to the All-GLVC honorable mention list, tying for fifth in the conference with eight sacks. He was 11th in the league in tackles for loss, helping a QU defense that ranked second in the conference in total defense and rushing defense. He is a team captain in 2015.
SAINT JOSEPH’S
Braxton Shelton, Sr., RB (Kokomo, IN/Kokomo)
Shelton has seen action in all 33 games over the past three years, accumulating 2,690 yards and 29 touchdowns on the ground, 15 of those scores coming last year to ranked 22nd nationally. As a junior last season, he carried the ball 231 times for 1,280 yards to lead the conference in rushing. The two-time first-team All-GLVC selection recorded a season-high 164 yards rushing and two touchdowns against Lincoln on Oct. 11. His 90 points scored last season stood as the fifth-best total in the GLVC.
Jamyl Scott, Sr., DB (Hamilton, OH/Fairfield)
Scott returns for his senior season after starting in eight of his 10 games last year. He recorded 40 tackles and broke up nine passes, while forcing a fumble and making an interception in his return to the field after being limited to the 2013-14 season due to injury. Last year Scott shined with 11 tackles against Alderson Broaddus and broke up four passes and had one interception against Lincoln. For his career, Scott has totaled 121 stops and 18 pass breakups.
SOUTHWEST BAPTIST
Nathan Mourik, Sr., WR (Pasadena, TX/Pasadena Memorial)
In his first season with the Bearcats, Mourik was one of the nation’s top receiving targets, ranking third in NCAA Division II in both receiving yards (1,398) and receiving yards per game (127.1), and was eighth nationally in receiving touchdowns (8). The first-team All-GLVC wideout hauled in 65 total receptions and boasted the nation’s 13th-best per-catch average with 21.51 yards per reception. He set the GLVC single-game receiving record with 219 yards at William Jewell and then eclipsed the single-season conference mark, besting the previous record of 1,335 set by UIndy’s Mar’Quone Edmonds in 2012. Mourik garnered first-team All-America honors by BSN and was also an All-America honorable mention by the Don Hansen Football Committee.
Josh Caver, Sr., DT (Pasadena, TX/Pasadena Memorial)
Caver played in all 11 games last season, registering 27 tackles with 12 solo stops at his defensive tackle position. He netted 6.0 tackles for loss that racked up 23 total yards behind the line of scrimmage. Two of those hits were quarterback sacks, which ranked third on the team. Prior to his first season in GLVC competition, Caver was an All-MIAA honorable mention in 2012.
TRUMAN STATE
Brad Hardin, Sr., OL (O’Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West)
Hardin started six of nine games at offensive tackle last season on a unit that allowed the Bulldogs to post the highest yards rushing per game (189.6) since the 1997 season. The two-time Academic All-GLVC selection member started the final two games and made nine overall appearances on the offensive line in 2013. Prior to Truman joining the GLVC, Hardin played in five and started his final four games before suffering an injury against Fort Hays (Kan.) State during his redshirt freshman season in 2012.
Devin Gillespie, Sr., DE (St. Louis, MO/Hazelwood Central)
Gillespie enters his senior season as the team’s leading defensive standout with 87 tackles, including 20.5 tackles for loss and nine sacks in his career. As a junior, Gillespie started all 10 games at defensive end, registering team highs in tackles for loss (14.0) and sacks (5.5). He posted a single-game high of eight stops against Lincoln last year and ended the season with 47 total stops. In 2013, Gillespie saw action in 10 outings with six starts, finishing with 19 tackles and three hits behind the line of scrimmage. As a redshirt freshman in 2012, he made 21 total tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in 11 games. Off the football field, Gillespie is currently the sports editor of Truman’s school newspaper, the Index, and was a member of the GLVC Sports Network’s “Extra Credit” crew at the 2015 GLVC Basketball Tournaments.
WILLIAM JEWELL
Brandon Klewer, Sr., OL (Kansas City, MO/Lee’s Summit West)
Klewer returns to anchor an offensive line that allowed the Cardinals’ passing unit to rank third in the league last year in passing offense (245.9). The senior earned first-team All-Conference accolades last season after being awarded second-team distinction in 2013.
Aaron Neier, Jr., DL (Washington, MO/St. Francis Borgia)
Neier compiled 26 tackles and half a sack in eight games played last year, after notching nine stops in five games during the 2013-14 season.