By d3photography.com, UW-Whitewater athletics |
UW-Whitewater defensive end Mackenzie Balanganayi and St. John’s quarterback Jackson Erdmann lead the D3football.com 2019 All-West Region team. Erdmann was named West Region Offensive Player of the Year, while Balanganayi was named the West Region Defensive Player of the Year.
Chapman coach Bob Owens, who led Chapman to its first undefeated regular season, and to a first-round playoff win against Linfield, is the West Region Coach of the Year. It’s his first selection as a D3football.com regional Coach of the Year.
Balanganayi, a junior from Palatine, Illinois, has registered 12 tackles for loss for the Warhawks in 11 games, as well as 42 total tackles (22 solo). Balanganayi has nine sacks and three quarterback hurries as well. He is the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference defensive player of the year, and is the fourth UW-Whitewater defensive lineman to be named D3football.com West Region Defensive Player of the year in the 15-year history of the award.
Erdmann, a senior from Rosemount, Minnesota, has completed 65 percent of his passes on the season, with 46 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 439 attempts. Erdmann, who was also the D3football.com 2018 West Region Offensive Player of the Year, has thrown for 4,698 yards on the season.
The teams, selected in balloting by West Region sports information directors and D3football.com staff, were chosen from 270 nominations by Division III member schools. A total of 79 players were chosen. Players nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for D3football.com All-America honors, which will be announced the evening of Dec. 20, in D3football.com’s pregame coverage for Stagg Bowl XLVII.
D3football.com 2019 All-West Region Team
Offensive Player of the Year: Jackson Erdmann, QB, St. John’s
Defensive Player of the Year: Mackenzie Balanganayi, DE, UW-Whitewater
Coach of the Year: Bob Owens, Chapman
First Team Offense | ||||
Pos. | Player | School | Yr. | Hometown |
QB | Jackson Erdmann | St. John’s | Sr. | Rosemount, Minn. |
RB | Josh Parks | St. Thomas | Sr. | Chisago City, Minn. |
RB | Alex Peete | UW-Whitewater | Jr. | Ringwood, Ill. |
WR | Cole Spieker | UW-La Crosse | Sr. | Brainerd, Minn. |
WR | AJ Johnson | Puget Sound | Sr. | Tacoma, Wash. |
TE | Brayton Finch | Gustavus Adolphus | Sr. | Mount Morris, Ill. |
T | Ben Bartch | St. John’s | Sr. | Dayton, Ore. |
G | Quinn Meinerz | UW-Whitewater | Jr. | Hartford, Wis. |
C | Mike Olsen | UW-Oshkosh | Jr. | Hartland, Wis. |
G | Dan Greenheck | St. John’s | Sr. | St. Paul, Minn. |
T | Joe Krall | Monmouth | Sr. | New Berlin, Wis. |
K | Jon Alberts | Central | Sr. | Huntley, Ill. |
RET | A.J. Jackson | Lake Forest | Fr. | Peoria, Ariz. |
First Team Defense | ||||
DE | Mackenzie Balanganayi | UW-Whitewater | Jr. | Palatine, Ill. |
DT | J.W. Windsor | St. John’s | Sr. | Mesa, Ariz. |
DT | Elias Hackney | Redlands | Sr. | Santa Monica, Calif. |
DE | Jordan McInerney | Lake Forest | Sr. | Libertyville, Ill. |
LB | Dillon Keefe | Chapman | Jr. | Orange, Calif. |
LB | Sam Romanski | UW-Eau Claire | Sr. | Wausau, Wis. |
LB | Keyell Davis | Linfield | Sr. | Gig Harbor, Wash. |
CB | Jeff Hector | Redlands | Sr. | Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif. |
S | Mark McGrath | UW-Whitewater | Jr. | Lisle, Ill. |
S | Jed Schlegel | UW-Stout | Sr. | Baldwin, Wis. |
CB | Obasi Dees | Cal Lutheran | Sr. | Antioch, Calif. |
P | Alex Berg | Concordia-Moorhead | Sr. | Moorhead, Minn. |
ST | Willie Julkes | Concordia-Moorhead | Sr. | Mesa, Ariz. |
Second Team Offense | ||||
QB | Wyatt Smith | Linfield | Jr. | McMinnville, Ore. |
RB | Josh Harris | Pacific | Jr. | Sonora, Calif. |
RB | Joshuah Kren | Martin Luther | Jr. | Waukesha, Wis. |
WR | Brice Panning | Gustavus Adolphus | Sr. | Hamburg, Minn. |
WR | Samuel Staehling | St. Norbert | Sr. | Plymouth, Wis. |
TE | Blake Roy | Redlands | Sr. | Carnas, Wash. |
T | Ryan Moles | Chapman | Sr. | Los Gatos, Calif. |
G | Matt Metcalf | Linfield | So. | Eugene, Ore. |
C | Nick Neumann | St. John’s | Jr. | Inver Grove Hts, Minn. |
G | Alex Waddell | Chapman | So. | Portola Valley, Calif. |
T | Elijah Rice | St. Thomas | Sr. | St. Michael, Minn. |
K | Jaydon Haag | UW-Oshkosh | So. | Sparta, Wis. |
RET | Nico Ragas | Chapman | Jr. | Lakewood, Calif. |
Second Team Defense | ||||
DE | Danny Pietruszewski | St. John’s | Jr. | South St. Paul, Minn. |
DT | Chase Lydig | Linfield | So. | Buckley, Wash. |
DT | Luke Swenson | St. Thomas | Sr. | Shoreview, Minn. |
DE | Jordan Brand | UW-Whitewater | Sr. | Chicago, Ill. |
LB | Derek Glynn | Augsburg | Sr. | Lonsdale, Minn. |
LB | Kaleb Kaminski | UW-Whitewater | Jr. | Tomahawk, Wis. |
LB | Chris Miller | Loras | Sr. | Waukon, Iowa |
CB | Chris Harris | St. John’s | Sr. | Lake Elsinore, Calif. |
S | Cole Ferrin | Bethel | Sr. | Morrison, Colo. |
S | Lane Barnes | Ripon | Sr. | Clovis, Calif. |
CB | JoJo McNair | Wartburg | Jr. | Joliet, Ill. |
P | Alec Benzinger | UW-Stout | Jr. | Waukesha, Wis. |
ST | AJ Christensen | Coe | So. | Leaf River, Ill. |
Third Team Offense | ||||
QB | Blaine Hawkins | Central | Jr. | Ankeny, Iowa |
RB | Nate Ihlenfeldt | St. Norbert | So. | Green Bay, Wis. |
RB | Artie Johnson | Linfield | Jr. | Hoquaim, Wash. |
WR | Sam Bartlett | Simpson | Sr. | St. Louis, Mo. |
WR | Ravi Alston | St. John’s | So. | Lake Elsinore, Calif. |
TE | Tanner Sussenbach | MacMurray | So. | Mount Sterling, Ill. |
T | Kyle Gannon | UW-Whitewater | Jr. | Waukesha, Wis. |
G | Austin Rupiper | St. Norbert | Sr. | Evansville, Wis. |
C | Doug Barkauski | Chicago | Sr. | Frankfort, Ill. |
G | Josh Mayhew | Central | Jr. | Aurora, Ill. |
T | Cody Smith | Central | Sr. | Orland, Park, Ill. |
K | Alex Raya | Redlands | Sr. | Jamul, Calif. |
RET | Donovan Lucas | UW-Stevens Point | Jr. | Milwaukee, Wis. |
Third Team Defense | ||||
DE | Cameron Chang | Lewis & Clark | Jr. | Honolulu, Hawaii |
DT | Jackson Ross | Chicago | Jr. | Norman, Okla. |
DT | Blade Durbala | Central | Jr. | Blairstown, Iowa |
DE | Ricky Medeiros | Chapman | Sr. | Sammamish, Wash. |
LB | Ethan Pulley | Cal Lutheran | Sr. | Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. |
LB | Logan Rickard | Coe | Jr. | Lisbon, Iowa |
LB | Alex Berg | Concordia-Moorhead | Sr. | Moorhead, Minn. |
CB | Nathan Parkin | Chapman | Sr. | San Jose, Calif. |
S | Brendan Holmes | Simpson | Sr. | Atlantic, Iowa |
S | Peter Kissling | UW-La Crosse | Sr. | Oregon, Wis. |
S | Travis Brown | Carleton | Jr. | St. Michael, Minn. |
CB | Hunter Semelroth | Coe | Sr. | Atkins, Iowa |
P | Joey Biel | Monmouth | Sr. | Spokane, Wash. |
ST | Danny Baker | Lake Forest | Fr. | Winnetka, Ill. |
There was a tie for the last safety spot.