Kelsey Ackerman | Sports Co-Editor
Senior place-kicker and punter for the Buena Vista University (BVU) football team, Tyler Stolen, has earned several post-season honors this year.
This season Stolen had an Extra Point percentage of 100% and a Field Goal percentage of 88%. His 14 field goals ranked 4th in Division III, and his 53-yard field goal was the longest regular season field goal in Division III and also landed him just two yards shy of a school record. With a stellar senior campaign, Stolen caught the attention of many.
To start off his awards, Stolen earned two Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) awards. He was named First-Team All-IIAC kicker, and Second-Team All-IIAC punter. This was his fourth year in a row earning All-IIAC honors.
Stolen was then named to the All-West Region team, earning a Second-Team All-Region selection as the kicker.
Lastly, Stolen earned national recognition. He was named one of the ten finalists for the 2016 Fred Mitchell Award, which classifies him as a Fred Mitchell Award All-American.
“It’s a great feeling when you are able to get BVU on the map, no matter what the reason is,” Stolen said, “I could have never imagined I would be nominated for such a prestigious award.”
The Fred Mitchell Award is named for Fred Mitchell, the record-setting place-kicker and Wittenberg University Athletic Hall of Famer.
The Award is given each year to the nation’s top collegiate place-kicker among more than 750 FCS, Division II, III, NAIA, and NJCAA football teams. The recipient of the Fred Mitchell Award is chosen based on excellence on the football field as well as in the community.
The Award’s Watch List is released in August, and then the ten finalists are announced in early December. The winner will be announced on December 13th, and honors in February at the National Football Foundation Chicago Metro Chapter Awards Ceremony. The selection committee is made up of members of the Professional and College Football Hall of Fame.
The ten finalists this year breakdown as follows:
Division: 3 FCS, 3 Division II, 4 Division III, 0 NAIA, 0 NJCAA
State: 10 different states
Year: 5 Seniors, 2 Juniors, 3 Sophomores, 0 Freshmen
Sophomore quarterback Cole Miller also served as Stolen’s holder this season, and knows that no one deserves this national recognition more than Stolen.
“We had great chemistry and holding for him was a lot of fun. He deserves this because he is a talented football player who is always on his game. He is a great teammate as well as a fiery competitor,” Miller said.
Stolen ends his career at BVU with a 92% Extra Point percentage and a total of 217 points scored for the Beavers.
Stolen made the point clear, that is it not just him receiving these awards, but also the other ten players on the field with him.
“I would not be where I am today without the guidance of Coach Al Pierce, the effort of my guys up front, or the perfect holds by Cole Miller,” Stolen said, “Without the offense, I would never have been put in so many opportunities to put points up on the board. It is really a collective effort.”
Photo by: Emily Kenny
