INDIANAPOLIS – Findlay senior offensive lineman Andrew Alten (Loveland, OH / Loveland HS) received American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First Team All-American honors to represent the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
 
Additional postseason awards for Super Region 1 (G-MAC, PSAC, MEC, NE-10) from the D2 Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) were also presented to nine different Great Midwest student-athletes.
 
Alten was key piece to the offensive machine that Findlay churned out in the ground game and passing attack. The Oilers advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship playoffs after upsetting No. 2 Shepherd in the opening round.
 
Alten helped Findlay lead the Great Midwest in total offense at over 515 yards per game. The Oilers scored 72 touchdowns, including 41 on the ground and 31 through the air.
 
Alten was also a first team all-conference selection by the league’s coaches and is the first AFCA All-American to come from the Great Midwest ranks.
 
Jacksonville Jaguars’ rookie receiver Keelan Cole (Kentucky Wesleyan) had previously received All-American honors from D2Football.com, the Associated Press and the Don Hansen team in 2016.
 
Alten also headlined the D2CCA All-Super Region 1 Team on the offensive side of the ball along with Ohio Dominican junior standout Cory Contini at the wide receiver position.
 
The second team offensive unit featured more of the Great Midwest’s top two teams as bookends from the offensive line from ODU, Zack Williams and Andrew Lorenz, each got respective nods along with Findlay tight end Luke Stuffel and running back Daouda Sylla.
 
Findlay earned representation with defensive first-team selection and Great Midwest Defensive Back of the Year Aaron Ivory. Ivory’s teammate up front, Great Midwest Defensive Lineman of the Year Johnny Hopkins, also received second-team regional honors along with Malone tackling machine Ryan Weber.
 
The D2CCA Offensive Player of the Year from Super Region 1 was Marc Jones from Gannon and the D2CCA Defensive Player of the Year was Marcus Martin from Slippery Rock.