Seven Eureka Football Players Earn UMAC Academic Honor

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Seven Eureka College football players have been named to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Fall Academic All-Conference Team, according to an announcement from the league office last month.  Student-athletes must earn a 3.5 grade point average or better during the Fall 2010 semester to qualify for the award.

Tight end Alex Hess (Washington, Ill./Washington H.S.) and offensive linemen Luke Seidel (Monroe, Wis./Port Edwards H.S.) were the lone juniors to earn the award for the Red Devils.  Hess was also an All-UMAC First Team selection in 2010 after making 37 catches for 434 yards and a touchdown during his junior season.  He also ran the ball 28 times as the part-time Eureka fullback, scoring a team-high four rushing touchdowns.

Defensive end Dan Bolsen (Lovington, Ill./Lovington H.S.) and safety Darin Meierhofer (Minonk, Ill./Fieldcrest H.S.) represented Eureka's sophomore class and were joined by a trio of freshmen -- linebacker Drew Duffy (Flanagan, Ill./Flanagan H.S.), defensive back Ben Mills (Manito, Ill./Pekin H.S.) and tight end Matt Stevenson (Minonk, Ill./Fieldcrest H.S.).

A total of 90 football student-athletes qualified for the award from the UMAC, including a league-best 22 from St. Scholastica.  Martin Luther claimed the award for the highest team grade point average at 2.94.  The UMAC, which also sponsors men's and women's cross country, men's and women's golf, men's and women's soccer and volleyball during the fall, named a record-high 359 student-athletes to its Fall Academic All-Conference Team in 2010.