MIAC Release

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Saint John's senior defensive lineman Zach Frank (Lino Lakes, Minn./Centennial) was named the MIAC's Mike Stam Award recipient as the conference's outstanding lineman and 16 other Johnnies earned All-MIAC honors when the 2025 MIAC Football Awards were announced on Monday, Nov. 24.

In addition to Frank, the other 16 Johnnies honored were:

-Junior left tackle Michael Bougie (South St. Paul, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall);
-Senior right guard Ian DeGross (Elko, Minn./New Prague);
-Junior quarterback Trey Feeney (Moorhead, Minn.);
-Senior defensive lineman Landon Gallagher (Murieta, Calif./Vista Murrieta);
-Senior tight end Joey Gendreau (Shorewood, Minn./Minnetonka);
-Junior linebacker Peyton Goettlicher (Mankato, Minn./West);
-Junior kicker Matt Hansen (Longmont, Colo./Niwot);
-Sophomore wide receiver/returner Carson Hegerle (West Fargo, N.D.);
-Sophomore cornerback Westin Hoyt (Forest Lake, Minn.);
-Junior linebacker Aiden McMahon (Maple Grove, Minn.);
-Sophomore safety Will Peroutka (Rosemount, Minn.);
-Senior safety Jack St. Fleur (San Diego, Calif./Christian Unified);
-Junior wide receiver Riley Schwellenbach (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge);
-Senior cornerback Blake Simonson (Waconia, Minn.);
-Junior center Barrett Van Deun (Omaha, Neb./Millard West);
-Senior wide receiver Dylan Wheeler (St. Paul, Minn./Mounds View).

The All-MIAC honor is the third-consecutive for Frank and the second for Gallagher, Gendreau, Hoyt, McMahon, Simonson and Wheeler.

Senior defensive lineman Tommy Gilmore (Otsego, Minn./Rogers) was All-MIAC honorable mention.

Frank is the ninth SJU defensive lineman and 11th Johnnie overall to win the Mike Stam Award, which was established in 1990 in memory of the former Carleton All-MIAC defensive lineman who passed away in a snowmobiling accident after his junior season. He joins offensive lineman Burt Chamberlin (1992), defensive lineman Jim Wagner (1993), defensive lineman Brian Kohorst (1994), defensive lineman Matt Griffith (1997), defensive lineman Ryan Weinandt (2003), defensive lineman Damien Dumonceaux (2005), defensive lineman Kyle Schroeder (2010), defensive lineman Nathan Brinker (2018), offensive lineman Ben Bartch (2019) and defensive lineman Seth Morem (2021).

A 2024 D3football.com All-America fourth-team selection, Frank led the conference with 10 sacks and was second in tackles for loss (14.0) in conference play. He was fourth on the team in tackles (31) and tied with Gallagher for the team lead with five quarterback hurries across nine league games. 

Overall, Frank ended the regular season eighth in Division III with an average of 1.15 sacks per game – 11.5 total – and leads SJU with 15.5 tackles for loss and six quarterback hurries, while sitting in fourth with 34 tackles (17 solo). 

A two-time D3football.com All-Region 6 honoree, Frank is tied with Nathan Brinker '19 for fifth in program history with 27 sacks and is ninth with 38.5 tackles for loss in 41 career games. Off the field, Frank is a College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American, a two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree and a 2025 semifinalist for the National Football Foundation Campbell Trophy.

Gendreau led the MIAC among tight ends (and was fourth overall) in both receptions (59) and receiving yards (788), and tied for seventh in receiving touchdowns (6) in league play. He ended the regular season leading all Division III tight ends in receiving yards (912) and was second in touchdowns (8) and receptions (67). A three-time D3football.com National Team of the Week honoree this fall, Gendreau is second on the team with 15 catches of 20 yards or more.

Gendreau is currently second in SJU history to Alex Larson '23 among tight ends in receptions (159, seventh overall), receiving yards (2,088, 12th overall) and receiving touchdowns (19).

Wheeler finished second in the MIAC in receiving touchdowns (13) and third in four other categories - receptions (73), receiving yards (909), total touchdowns (13) and points (78) - in nine MIAC games. He ended the regular season eighth in Division III in receiving touchdowns (14) and leads the Johnnies in receptions (76) and receiving yards (938). 

Wheeler has started each of SJU's last 32 games (and has played in all 44 as a Johnnie). He owns three conference or program receiving records: MIAC (conference games only) - games of multiple receiving touchdowns (six in 2024) and is tied with Blake Elliott '03 with 12 100-yard receiving games. He also holds the SJU record for games of three receiving touchdowns or more (7). 

He is currently second in SJU history in both receptions (225) and receiving touchdowns (45); is third in 100-yard receiving games (14); fourth in receiving yards (2,945); and fifth in total touchdowns (45).

Like Frank, Wheeler is a CSC Academic All-American and will travel to New Orleans for the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year's Day as a member of the Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team.

Feeney led the MIAC in completion percentage (.767, 204-for-266) and passing efficiency (192.2), and was second in completions (204), passing yards (2,550) and passing touchdowns (30) in conference play. The .767 completion percentage was a MIAC record and the 192.2 pass-efficiency rating was second-best to Aaron Syverson's 199.9 posted last year. The 30 passing touchdowns were tied for seventh and the passing yards were 10th-most in MIAC play.

Feeney played just one complete game in the regular season after splitting time as SJU's starting play caller with senior Zander Dittbenner (Mankato, Minn./West) for the first half of the season. 

Feeney took over the reigns as the primary starter ahead of a triumphant return to his hometown on Oct. 18 at Concordia. He exited games before the fourth quarter six times in all, and before the second half twice. He was under center for a total of 62 SJU offensive possessions, 69.3 percent of which ended in a touchdown (43), including 51.6 percent on touchdown passes.

He was named to the D3football.com National Team of the Week following his of 409 passing yards and six touchdowns Oct. 25 vs. Carleton and ended the regular season in Division III's top 20 in six statistical categories: second in completion percentage (.774); sixth in both passing efficiency (194.1) and passing touchdowns (32); 11th in yards per pass attempt (9.65); 18th in passing yards (2,691); and 20th in completions per game (21.60).

Feeney played four quarters less than both of the MIAC's other top quarterbacks – Offensive Player of the Year Jack Curtis (Carleton) and Bethel's Cooper Drews, a transfer from SJU. He played 34 fewer possessions than Curtis and 40 fewer than Drews, but still finished in the top three in six different passing categories, completing just five fewer passes than Drews and passing for three more touchdowns than Curtis. 

Schwellenbach led the MIAC in yards per catch (16.2), among receivers with 40 receptions or more, was fifth in receiving yards (695) and tied with Gendreau for seventh in receiving touchdowns (6) in MIAC games. Overall, Schwellenbach leads the Johnnies with 17 catches of 20 yards or more this season. He enters the postseason third on the team in both receptions (45) and receiving yards (757) and is fourth with six receiving touchdowns.

An All-MIAC honoree as a returner, Hegerle finished second in the MIAC with an average of 12.3 yards per punt return (14 for 172 yards and a touchdown) in league play. As a receiver, he tied for fifth in the conference in receiving touchdowns (7) and tied for sixth in total touchdowns (8). Hegerle totaled 32 catches for 374 yards in eight league games. He was named the MIAC Special Teams Player of the Week after he returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown on Oct. 25 vs. Carleton, the Johnnies' first since 2018. 

Bougie, DeGross and Van Deun were stalwarts on an offensive line that allowed five quarterback sacks in 10 regular-season games and served as a backbone for an SJU offense that led the MIAC in total offense (527.4 ypg.) – for the seventh-consecutive season – and passing offense (375.2 ypg.) for the third-straight year (fifth time in the last seven seasons) in conference play. The Johnnies were second in scoring offense with an average of 50.7 points per MIAC game. SJU allowed just five sacks, including three by the starting offensive line, marking just the second time since the 1999 season that the team has allowed less than 10 sacks during the regular season (nine in 2015).

All three offensive linemen have started all 10 games so far this season. Bougie has started each of the Johnnies' last 16 games at left tackle, while the 2025 season has been the first as starters for DeGross and Van Deun.

Hansen led the MIAC in scoring – among kickers – in points (76) and made PAT's (61-for-61), both of which were MIAC records for conference play. He also tied for fifth with five made field goals (5-for-6). Hansen is 68-for-68 on PATs in all games. His 68 PATs this season rank fourth in the SJU record book, one behind Conor Murphy's '24 69 last season. He is seven behind Zach Barwick's record of 75 achieved in 2018. 

Hansen was named the MIAC Special Teams Player of the Week after hitting a pair of field goals in SJU's 41-6 win at Concordia – one of which was a 47-yard boot, which tied Mike Schmidt '83 for the seventh-longest in program history and was the longest by a Johnnie since 2012 (Jimmie Mattson's '13 49-yarder on Nov. 10 at Bethel). A two-sport student-athlete at SJU, Hansen was also a member of the Johnnies' MIAC-champion 4x100-meter relay in May.

The Johnnies' defense led the MIAC in total defense (212.0 ypg.) for the fourth time in the last six seasons, and in passing defense (145.3 ypg.) in conference games. SJU finished second in scoring defense (9.8 ppg.) and run defense (66.7 ypg.).

Gallagher finished fifth on the team in tackles (27) and was 10th in the league in tackles for loss (6.5) to go with 2.5 sacks in conference play. Overall, his 27 tackles are good for fifth on the team, while the tackles for loss are tied for second-most. He has 71 tackles (30 solo), 16.5 of which were for a loss and 8.5 sacks, with nine quarterback hurries in 32 career games.

Gilmore missed the season opener due to injury and tied for ninth with three sacks in MIAC play to go along with 16 tackles (seven solo), 4.5 tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries. 

McMahon was fourth in the MIAC in tackles (74) and also led SJU with 34 solo tackles to go with 3.0 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and an interception in conference action. 

Overall, McMahon leads one of the nation's top defenses with 84 tackles (39 solo), is tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles and is third with four pass breakups. He has 188 tackles (88 solo), including 17.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two interceptions in 32 career games.

Goettlicher led the Johnnies with five pass breakups and was second with 50 tackles (30 solo), including 3.0 for a loss and a quarterback sack in MIAC play. He currently leads the team in passes defended (6) and is tied with Peroutka for first with five pass breakups overall. Goettlicher is also second on the team in solo tackles (31) and is tied with sophomore linebacker Landon Danner (Rosemount, Minn.) for second with 54 stops.

Hoyt posted 24 tackles (19 solo), including 2.5 for a loss, and an interception with two pass breakups and a forced fumble in MIAC play. Simonson, meanwhile, tallied 11 tackles (seven solo), four pass breakups and an interception that he returned 30 yards for a touchdown Nov. 1 at Gustavus Adolphus. St. Fleur collected 20 tackles (12 solo) and three pass breakups in conference games. He was named the
MIAC Defensive Player of the Week following five tackles and interception return for a touchdown in a season-opening win over Minnesota-Morris.

Peroutka tied with Simonson for second on the team with four pass breakups, was sixth on the team with 25 tackles (12 solo) and recorded an interception in conference play. He has 26 tackles (13 solo) and five pass breakups overall. His older brother, Grant '24, was a two-time All-MIAC offensive lineman in 2023 and 2024. 

The Peroutkas join a short list of SJU brothers who have earned All-MIAC first-team honors: Froehle (Chuck and Rich), Grant (Mike and Dan); Ramler (George, Mike and Kurt); Deibele (Ryan and Cole); Steffensmeier (Jamie and Tony); and Pietruszewski (Jack and Danny).
 
No. 6/7 SJU (9-1, 8-1 MIAC) hosts No. 23/25 Monmouth (9-1, 9-0 MWC) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs at noon Saturday, Nov. 29, in Clemens Stadium.

The Johnnies ended the regular season as the Division III leader on third down (60 percent, 55-for-92) and tackles for loss allowed (2.10 tflpg.); second in completion percentage (.751) and passing offense (366.8 ypg.); third in scoring offense (50.5 ppg.) and total offense (523.5 ypg.); fifth in sacks allowed (0.5 spg.); sixth in passing efficiency (191.55); seventh in first downs (264); and 11th in red-zone offense (.919, 57-for-62).

Defensively, SJU was fourth in Division III in scoring defense (8.8 ppg.); fifth in total defense (203.0 ypg.); seventh in passing defense (135.3 ypg.); 11th in first downs allowed (126) and red-zone defense (.611, 11-for-18); 12th in defensive touchdowns (4); 13th in pass-efficiency defense (99.41); and 14th in run defense (67.7 ypg.).

SJU has scored points on 65.1 percent (71 of 109) of its offensive possessions this season, while the defense has forced a three-and-out on one-third (38 of 114) of the opposition's drives. The 10 regular-season opponents either punted or turned the ball over 68.4 percent (78 of 114) of the time.