Gustavus Adolphus College linebackers Adam Miron (Sr., Princeton, Minn.) and Jared Sieling (Jr., Watertown, Minn.) have been named to the All-MIAC first team, as voted on by the league’s coaches. In addition, defensive lineman Nick David (Sr., Morristown, Minn.), defensive back Kevin Hegland (Sr., St. Michael, Minn.), quarterback/kicker Jordan Stolp (Mankato, Minn.) and offensive lineman Jared Thelemann (So., Kilkenny, Minn.) were each honored on the second team. Defensive back Brian Evans (Sr., Gaylord, Minn.) was named to the MIAC Sportsmanship Team.
Miron, selected at inside linebacker, finished second on the team with 67 tackles (26 solo) while also recording 7.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. A constant force in the middle of the Gustavus defense all season long, Miron capped his career in a big way by amassing a game-high eight tackles (five solo) in Gustavus’ 14-10 season-ending win over Carleton. During that game, Miron also recorded a sack for a loss of nine yards on a fourth-and-three play in the fourth quarter, returned an interception 74 yards in the final minute of the second quarter to set up the eventual game-winning touchdown and recovered a fumble at the Carleton 23 to set up the other Gustie touchdown early in the second quarter.
Sieling, a second team All-MIAC selection at linebacker last season, led the Gusties with 73 tackles (33 solo) in 2006. Sieling also recorded 7.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery. He has worked his way up the Gustavus career tackles chart, heading into his final season in fourth place with 267 career tackles and third place in solo tackles with 126.
David, also a second team selection at nose guard in 2005, finished seventh on the team with 41 tackles (19 solo), but recorded a team-high 8.5 tackles for loss and finished second on the team with 4.5 sacks while playing the bulk of the season on a bad knee. David finished his career with 24.5 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks, placing in the top 15 all-time at Gustavus in both categories.
Hegland, a first-time selection, was third on the team with 60 tackles (35 solo) and also tallied 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, 3 pass break-ups and 1 fumble recovery. Hegland ended his career with 175 career tackles (104 solo) and eight interceptions. His eight interceptions ranks tied for sixth all-time, while his 104 solo tackles is tied for seventh all-time.
Stolp, selected to the second team as a kicker this season after twice being named to the second team as a quarterback, was 23 of 24 on PAT attempts this season and 1 of 4 on field goal attempts. Stolp kicked off 32 times for a 55.9-yard average and a touchback as Gustavus’ kickoff coverage team ranked third among league schools. Stolp also served as the Gusties’ punter for portion of the season, amassing a 37.2-yard average on 28 punts with six kicks inside the opponents’ 20-yard line and only two touchbacks. As Gustavus’ starting quarterback, Stolp completed 151 of 267 passes for 1794 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also had two 300-yard passing games this season (St. Olaf, Augsburg).
Thelemann, only a sophomore, helped anchor an offensive line that allowed only 16 quarterback sacks all season. The Gustavus offense also had the best fourth-down conversion rate (10-16) and provided protection for a passing offense that threw for 191.3 yards per game.
Evans, Gustavus’ entry on the MIAC Sportsmanship Team, made 34 stops (27 solo) in 2006, ranking eighth on the team. Evans also pulled down a team-high four interceptions this season, including two against Carleton in the final game of his career. The MIAC Football Sportsmanship Team is part of a conference-wide sportsmanship initiative.
Miron, Sieling, David, Hegland, and Evans were all members of a Gustavus defensive unit that finished third among MIAC teams, allowing only 275.7 yards per game.
The Gusties, which finished the season on a four-game winning streak, completed their season at 6-4 overall and placed fifth in the MIAC with a 4-4 league mark.