A Reluctant Hero

D3Playbook DECEMBER 6, 2019 | written by STEVE ULRICH your must-read briefing on what's driving the day in NCAA Division III Our goal is to keep you - the influencers in DIII athletics - apprised of what's happening around Division III - the games, polls, news, happenings, awards, calendar of events, and much more. We hope you enjoy d3Playbook and that you'll share this with your friends, colleagues and co-workers.

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1.  A Reluctant Hero   James Grant does not consider himself a hero. The referee that received his quick medical attention might disagree. Grant, the head athletic trainer at St. John Fisher, was on the sidelines during the Cardinals' football game vs. Hartwick on Oct. 19. He saw a referee collapse on the field and go into cardiac arrest. Grant immediately ran to help, performing CPR and used an AED device to revive the man. His actions were recognized earlier in the week by emergency personnel. The official, who was not named, underwent surgery and is now back at full capacity. >> Humble: "I don't consider myself (a hero)," Grant said. "I mean, I was fortunate. I had the training and just reacted. The AED did the work. All I did was recognize he was in trouble and needed help." >> Salute: To Grant and all those who rush into action to save those in need.

2.  Football Quarterfinal Preview  The 2019 NCAA Division III football championship goes from eight to four teams on Saturday. Here is our preview (all times EST) #7 UW-Whitewater (11-1) at #2 Mary Hardin-Baylor (12-0), 1 p.m. The defending national champion Crusaders have won 27 straight games since a loss in the 2017 national final. The UMHB defense is led by LB Tevin Jones, a first-team AFCA All-America selection, and DT Joey Longoria, who was tabbed for the second team. The Warhawks are led by OL Quinn Meinerz, a first-team AFCA All-American. The two teams are second and third in overall winning percentage from 2010-19. The Cru is 116-8, while the 'Hawks are 110-10. Live Stats | Live Audio (UWW) | Live Audio (UMHB) | Live Video   #8 Saint John's (11-1) at #3 Wheaton, Ill. (12-0), 1 p.m. The Johnnies and the Thunder should light up the scoreboard on Saturday, as the teams combine for 91.2 points per game. SJU QB Jackson Erdmann, a transfer from Penn State, was named first-team All-America by the AFCA. He leads D-III in passing yards (4,291) and is seventh in TDs (41). His counterpart - Luke Anthony - is third in the nation in pass efficiency (191.6) with 33 TDs. He transferred from Dayton. Wheaton DL Dallas McRae was named AFCA first-team All-America. Live Stats | Live Audio (SJU) | Live Video   #4 Muhlenberg (12-0) at #6 Salisbury (11-0), 12 p.m. The Mules and the Sea Gulls square off in a classic "Irresistible Force meets Immovable Object" game. Muhlenberg became the first team in the history of the D-III playoffs to record shutouts in each of the first two rounds. The Mules look to junior Michael Hnatkowsky, who is eighth among active college QBs with 93 career TD passes. TE Ryan Curtiss was named AFCA second-team All-America, while DE Frankie Feaster was named to the first team after recording 11.5 sacks and 20.5 TFL. Salisbury is averaging 72.5 ppg. in the playoffs and 51.1 on the season. QB Jack Lanham has run for 11 TDs and thrown for 13 more, while RB Mike-Ryan Mofor has found paydirt 15 times behind second-team All-America OL Tyler Norwood.  Live Stats | Live Audio (SU) | Live Video #9 Delaware Valley (11-1) at #5 North Central, Ill. (11-1), 1 p.m. Another showdown between offense and defense. The Rams are second in D-III in total (202.7), fourth in scoring (11.3) and fifth in rushing defense (59.8). The Cardinals are first in total (581.9), second in scoring (55.0) and fourth in passing offense (341.9). Delaware Valley DE Michael Nobile leads the nation with 30.5 TFL. North Central QB Broc Rutter, a second-team All-American, leads all collegians with 136 career TD passes and has thrown for 13,546 yards. WR Andrew Kamienski was named first-team All-America by the AFCA, while OL Sharmore Clarke was tabbed for the second unit. Live Stats | Live Audio (NCC) | Live Video

3.  Best of the Decade  We continue our "Best of the Decade" series with a look at the champions, runners-up and final four participants in field hockey. Champions: Middlebury (4), Bowdoin (2), College of New Jersey (2), Messiah, Tufts Runner-Up: Bowdoin (2), Messiah (2), Tufts (2), Franklin & Marshall, Middlebury, Montclair State, Salisbury Final Four Appearances: Middlebury (6), Bowdoin (5), Salisbury (4), TCNJ (4), F&M (3), Messiah (3), Tufts (3), Ursinus (3), Johns Hopkins (2), Skidmore (2), Babson, Christopher Newport, DePauw, Mary Washington, Rowan Monday: Cross Country.

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4. Regional Players of the Year  Six student-athletes were selected to represent their respective region as the First Point USA/NFHCA Division III Regional Player of the Year. Great Lakes: Caroline Brotzge, Centre, Sr., M New England East: Kristen McCarthy, Endicott, Sr., F New England West: Erin Nicholas, Middlebury, Jr., M North Atlantic: Morgan Mullen, Ithaca, Soph., F South Atlantic: Kayla Peterson, College of New Jersey, Sr., M South: Melissa Gula, Franklin & Marshall, Sr., M >> Read the complete release from the NFHCA >> Be Smart: The All-America team will be announced 12/11, while the National Player of the Year will be released on 12/16.

5.  Soccer All-America    United Soccer Coaches announced the association’s NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s All-America Teams  on Thursday on the eve of the 2019 NCAA Division III Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championship semifinals in Greensboro, N.C. A total of 95 players (47 men, 48 women) in NCAA Division III soccer receive All-America recognition this year, led by three three-time All-Americans: Stevens Institute of Technology senior midfielder Julia Panko, Messiah College senior forward Brooke Firestone and Augsburg University senior forward Ashley St. Aubin. Eight women’s players and 10 men’s players are earning All-America honors for the second time in their careers.   First Team - Women K-Ursula Alwang, Sr., Middlebury; D-Kristen Canepa, Sr., Trinity (Texas); D-Gabbie Cesarone, Soph., Washington U.; D-Nkem Iregbulem, Sr., Williams; D-Maialen Martinez, Jr., William Smith; D-Sarah Tomich, Jr., Wheaton (Ill.); M-Sara Bakke, Soph., Wheaton (Ill.); M-Sunny Geinovatch, Sr., Messiah; M-Julia Panko, Sr., Stevens; M-Brian VarnBuhler, Sr., Pomona-Pitzer; F-Taylor Cohen, Sr., Washington U.; F-Brooke Firestone, Sr., Messiah; F-Jenna Fuller, Jr., Ohio Northern; F-Alana Hughes, Sr., Centre; F-Ashley St. Aubin, Sr., Augsburg. First Team - Men K-AJ Marcucci, Jr., Connecticut College; D-Ben Rickson, Sr., WPI; D-Cooper Robbins, Sr., Messiah; D-Connor Whitacre, Sr., Franklin & Marshall; M-RJ Moore, Jr., Johns Hopkins; M-Hunter Olson, Sr., Calvin; M-Gabriel Soriano, Sr. Mary Washington; F-Ben Alexander, Soph., Catholic; F-Joe Fala, Sr., Ramapo; F-Alexander Garuba, Sr., Centre; F-German Giammattei, Soph., Amherst; F-Witman Hernandez, Sr., Oneonta; F-Baboucarr Njie, Jr., North Carolina Wesleyan; F-Cole Schwartz, Soph., Gustavus Adolphus. Complete Teams

6. Weekend Preview Ice Hockey (M) - USCHO UW-Eau Claire (vs. UW-River Falls) Norwich (vs. Castleton) Hobart (at #15 New England College; at Southern Maine) Trinity (idle) Geneseo (vs. Brockport) Adrian (vs. St. Scholastica) Salve Regina (at Curry) (tie) Utica (at Stevenson; at Chatham) (tie) Augsburg (H/A vs. St. Olaf) U. of New England (vs. Curry; at Western New England) Ice Hockey (W) - USCHO Plattsburgh (at Cortland) Middlebury (vs. Utica) Norwich (at Suffolk; at Southern Maine) Gustavus Adolphus (H/H vs. Saint Mary's) UW-Eau Claire (idle) Adrian (H/H vs. Aurora) UW-River Falls (idle) Elmira (vs. Amherst; vs. Williams) Hamline (A/H vs. Bethel) St. Thomas (H/H vs. Concordia) Basketball (W) - D3hoops.com Amherst (at E. Connecticut) Tufts (at WPI) Scranton (at Goucher) Bowdoin (vs. Colby) Hope (at Calvin) St. Thomas MN (vs. Gustavus Adolphus) Mary Hardin-Baylor (vs. #12 Whitman) Wartburg (at Buena Vista) DeSales (at Gwynedd Mercy) DePauw (at Oberlin) Basketball (M) - D3hoops.com Swarthmore (vs. Gettysburg) Emory (vs. Piedmont) Wittenberg (vs. Allegheny) Middlebury (vs. New England College; at Stevens) St. Thomas MN (vs. Gustavus Adolphus) Nebraska Wesleyan (at Dubuque) Nichols (at Lasell) Marietta (vs. John Carroll) Randolph-Macon (vs. #18 Christopher Newport) Washington U. (idle) Swimming (M) - CSCAA Kenyon (diving at Denison Invitational) Denison (Denison Invitational) Johns Hopkins (Princeton "Big Al" Open) Emory (Denison Invitational; SCAD Invitational) Washington U. (Denison Invitational; Wheaton Invitational) MIT (MIT Invitational) NYU (Ithaca Bomber Invitational) Chicago (idle) Carnegie Mellon (idle) Pomona-Pitzer (vs. #19 Claremont-M-S) Swimming (W) - CSCAA Johns Hopkins (Princeton "Big Al" Open) Denison (Denison Invitational) Emory (Denison Invitational; SCAD Invitational) Kenyon (diving at Denison Invitational) Williams (idle) Washington U. (Denison Invitational; Wheaton Invitational) NYU (Ithaca Bomber Invitational) Chicago (idle) Tufts (MIT Invitational) Carnegie Mellon (idle) Wrestling - NWCA Wabash (at Indiana Little State Tournament) Loras (vs. #6 UW-La Crosse; at #6 UW-La Crosse) Wartburg (at Buena Vista Open) Mount Union (at Messiah Petrofes Invitational) Augsburg (at North Central IL Invitational) (t) UW-Whitewater (vs. #2 Loras; vs. #10 Coe) (t) UW-La Crosse (vs. #10 Coe; vs. #2 Loras) Stevens (at York Invitational) (t) Baldwin Wallace (idle) (t) Coe (at #6 UW-La Crosse; vs. #6 UW-Whitewater)

7.  Comings and Goings   Bill Kibler announced his retirement as president at Sul Ross State effective June 2020. Raynard S. Kington will resign as president at Grinnell effective at the end of the academic year. Dan MacNeill announced his retirement as head football coach at Cortland. Dennis Miller announced his retirement as head football coach at Wisconsin Lutheran. Wesley Arthur named head cross country/track and field coach at Mary Baldwin. Suzanne Sheehan named head women's lacrosse coach at Penn State Abington. Kendra Jones elevated to head women's soccer coach at Washington & Jefferson. She served in an interim role in 2019. Kyle Sensabaugh and Antwan VanBuren named assistant women's basketball coaches at Emory & Henry. Erin Long named director of sport performance and wellness at Johns Hopkins. Scott Grimes named head baseball coach at Neumann. Sean Buchanan named assistant baseball coach at Albright. Jessica Trautman named assistant women's lacrosse coach at Rhode Island College.

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