Three Eagles Named to All-WIAC First Team; Eight Other Players Honored

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, November 14, 2007

La Crosse, Wis. - Three University of Wisconsin-La Crosse football players were selected to the 2007 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) First Team Wednesday in a vote by league coaches. Senior tailback Dan Hall of Valders (H.S.), senior wide receiver Ted Everson of Rib Lake (H.S.) and senior offensive guard Randy Gyllin of Mauston (H.S.) were all named to the All-WIAC First Team Offense.

Hall, who started all nine games, led UW-L and ranked fourth in the WIAC this season with a career-high 986 rushing yards this season. He led the Eagles with 203 rushing attempts and 13 touchdowns, including nine rushing and four receiving. His 986 yards ranks ninth in single-season school history while his 203 attempts are tied for sixth. He recorded five 100-yard rushing games this season, including a career-high 186 yards on 26 carries (7.2 average) in UW-L’s 49-34 victory at UW-River Falls November 3. Hall had a 94-yard touchdown run against the Falcons, tied for the second-longest rush in school history.

A 2005 All-WIAC Honorable Mention and 2006 All-WIAC Second Team choice as an all-purpose back, Hall set career-highs in rushing attempts (39) in a 31-29 loss at UW-Eau Claire October 6. He also caught 18 passes for 310 yards and four touchdowns in 2007. Hall ranks second in the WIAC this season in points per game (8.9) as well as third in total touchdowns (13) and all-purpose yards per game (157.4). Hall ranks 12th in school history in career rushing yards (1,824) and 11th in career rushing attempts (376). He finished his career with 23 touchdowns (16 rushing; 7 receiving).

Everson started all nine games at wide receiver for the Eagles in 2007, leading the team in catches (47), receiving yards (822) and tying for the team lead in touchdown catches (5). Everson, who is second in the conference this year in receiving yards and fourth in catches, averaged 17.5 yards per reception. Everson caught a career-high 11 passes for 135 yards in a 31-28 loss to UW-Stout October 27. The 11 receptions broke his career-high of 10 catches set against UW-Whitewater in 2005. Everson also had a career-high three touchdown catches versus the Warhawks while finishing with 195 yards.

A 2005 All-WIAC Second Team choice, Everson set a school record with 237 receiving yards on nine catches in UW-L’s 37-34 loss at UW-Platteville October 13 of this season. The 237 receiving yards broke the single-game school record of 229 set by Craig Crest versus UW-Whitewater November 1, 1980. Everson finished with seven catches for 205 yards in a 35-28 loss to UW-Whitewater this year. He finished his career with eight 100-yard receiving games, including four this season. Everson ranks fourth in UW-L history in career receiving yards (1,879), ninth in career catches (102) and tied for fourth in career touchdown receptions (16).

Gyllin helped lead UW-L’s offense to a conference-best 32.2 points per game in 2007, including at least 24 points in every contest. The Eagles lead the WIAC in passing yards per game (253.8), total offensive yards per game (435.9) and passing efficiency (144.9). UW-L also ranks third in the league in rushing yards per game (182.1). Gyllin, who started all nine games at offensive guard in 2007, was a 2006 All-WIAC Second Team selection.

Eight other players were selected to all-conference teams this season. On offense, junior quarterback Griffin Moe of Waupaca (H.S.) was named to the All-WIAC Second Team while senior wide receiver Jason Wagner of Menomonie (H.S.), senior offensive tackle Tommy Olsen of Evansville (H.S.), senior fullback Mike Schmidt of Menomonie (H.S.) and junior tailback Eric Donoval of Sheboygan (South) were selected to the All-WIAC Honorable Mention Team.

Moe, in his first year as a starter, completed 133-of-210 passes for 1,782 yards this season with 17 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He threw for at least 200 yards in four games, including a career-high 324 in the Eagles’ 47-21 victory at Hardin-Simmons University. Moe was 17-of-20 passing against the Cowboys, including 14 consecutive completions to start the game, and four touchdowns. He finished 16-of-23 for 308 yards with four touchdowns and an interception versus UW-Whitewater in 2007 and was 10-of-14 for 165 yards and four touchdowns in a 49-34 win at UW-River Falls. Moe leads the WIAC in passing yards per game (222.8) and passing efficiency (153.7) while ranking second in total offensive yards per game (223.8).

Wagner finished second on the team in receptions (36) and receiving yards (468) this year while tying Everson for the team lead with five touchdown catches. He caught a school record 14 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown against UW-Stout this season. The 14 catches broke the UW-L record of 13 set by three different players. Wagner finished with eight receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown at Hardin-Simmons in 2007. He also had a touchdown catch versus UW-Whitewater and two at UW-River Falls.

Olsen started all nine games at offensive tackle this season as the UW-L offense averaged 32.2 points and 435.9 yards per game, both of which lead the WIAC. The Eagles also averaged a league-best 253.8 passing yards per game and ranked in fourth-down conversions; making 15-of-26 attempts (57.7%).

Schmidt, who was named to the All-WIAC?Team as an all-purpose back, started all nine games at fullback this year, recording eight rushing attempts for 15 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught nine passes for 54 yards and a score. Schmidt scored on touchdown runs against UW-Eau Claire and UW-Oshkosh while catching a touchdown pass versus UW-River Falls.

Donoval was named to the All-WIAC Team this season a return specialist. He led UW-L with seven kickoff returns for 258 yards and a touchdown while also returning 16 punts for 137 yards. Donoval had two kickoff returns for 157 yards and an 80-yard touchdown at UW-River Falls in 2007. It was the Eagles’ first kickoff return for a touchdown since 1999. Along with returning kicks for UW-L, Donoval finished second on the squad in rushing attempts (62) and yards (360) while tying for second in touchdown rushes (3). The 360 rushing yards ranks 10th in the WIAC. He had 17 carries for 115 yards and a touchdown at Hardin-Simmons to open the season and finished the year with 15 attempts for 71 yards against UW-Stevens Point. Donoval also scored on touchdown runs in a 27-20 victory over Azusa Pacific and in a 49-34 win at UW-River Falls. He had one receiving touchdown in 2007, coming at UW-Platteville.

On defense, junior end Joe Troia of Omaha, Neb. (Westside) was named to the All-WIAC Second Team while junior linebacker Drew Kiefer of Abbotsford (H.S.) and senior linebacker Adam Neitzel of Waukesha (Wisconsin Lutheran) were selected to the All-WIAC Second Team.

Troia led UW-L with 71 tackles in 2007, including a team-high 46 solo and 11.0 tackles for loss. He finished third on the team with 3.5 sacks while also recovering two fumbles, forcing another and blocking one kick. Troia, who is ninth in the WIAC in tackles per game (7.9) and sixth in tackles for loss (11.0), had a career-high 11 tackles at UW-River Falls November 3. He had 10 tackles, including seven solo, at UW-Platteville October 13. A starter all nine games this season, Troia finished with three tackles for loss against Azusa Pacific September 15 and UW-Oshkosh October 20. He had two quarterback sacks against UW-Oshkosh.

Kiefer was second (60) and Neitzel fourth (52) in tackles this year for the Eagles. Kiefer registered 36 solo tackles and 7.5 tackles for loss, second on the team. He also tied for the team lead with four quarterback sacks. Kiefer had a career-high 16 tackles, including 10 solo, at UW-River Falls while totaling eight tackles in three different contests. He finished with two tackles for loss at UW-Eau Claire and UW-River Falls. Kiefer tied for second in the conference in forced (2) and recovered (2) fumbles.

Neitzel recorded 52 total tackles, including 29 solo. He also had 2.0 tackles for loss and recorded the first two interceptions of his career in UW-L’s 24-21 victory over UW-Stevens Point November 10 in the final game played at Roger Harring Stadium at Memorial Field. He had a season-high 10 tackles at Hardin-Simmons and set a single-game school record with 29 tackles against UW-Eau Claire during the 2005 season. Neitzel ends his career tied for 10th in tackles with 238 in three years after transferring from UW-Whitewater.

Senior tight end Brian Edmiston of Houston, Minn. (H.S.) was selected to the inaugural 2007 All-WIAC Sportsmanship Team. He started all nine games for UW-L this season, finishing tied for third in receptions (18) and fourth in receiving yards (152).

UW-L finished 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the WIAC in 2007, recording its 36th winning season in the last 38 years.