GREENVILLE, Pa. (pacathletics.org)--The Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) released its All-PAC football teams and annual award winners Tuesday afternoon.

The All-PAC teams and yearly award winners are determined, by vote, of the league’s 10 head coaches.

Grove City College senior wide receiver Cody Gustafson (Shippensburg, Pa. | Shippensburg) earned PAC Offensive Most Valuable Player honors for the second-straight season, while PAC Defensive Most Valuable Player honors went to Westminster College senior defensive end Brayden Thimons (Natrona Heights, Pa. | Highlands). Westminster first-year defensive back Kevin Wright (West Palm Beach, Fla. | Seminole Ridge)was selected as the league’s Newcomer of the Year. 

Carnegie Mellon University 36th-year head coach Rich Lackner was voted the PAC Coach of the Year.

Gustafson, Grove City's all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdown catches, is a five-time All-PAC selection and four-time First Team honoree. He was named the PAC's Newcomer of the Year in 2017. He is the league's first back-to-back winner of the Offensive Most Valuable Player award since Carnegie Mellon's Sam Benger in 2015-16. 

This season, Gustafson currently ranks third in NCAA Division III in receptions (84) and fourth in receiving yards (1,188). His 10 touchdowns are tied for 22nd among Division III leaders. He is the active NCAA all-divisions leader in career receiving yards (5,073) and ranks second in both career receptions (328) and career receiving touchdowns (48). 

Gustafson has 26 career games of 100 or more receiving yards. His 5,073 career receiving yards are the most in PAC history. Gustafson's 328 career receptions and 48 receiving touchdowns both rank second all-time among PAC career leaders. 

Thimons, a two-time All-PAC First Team selection, leads the league in sacks with 9.0 and tackles for loss with 16.0. His 57 tackles (26 solo) are the most among PAC defensive linemen. His 16.0 tackles for loss are tied for 21st in Division III while his 9.0 sacks are tied for 22nd. Thimons has also scored five touchdowns this season. He has four receptions for 37 yards and three touchdowns and has also rushed for one touchdown. Thimons returned an interception 27 yards for a touchdown against Saint Vincent College on Nov. 6. He has also blocked a pair of field goals this season. 

Thimons is the second-straight Westminster player to earn Defensive Most Valuable Player honors (Ian Barr, 2020-21). 

Wright earned starts in all 10 of Westminster's games this fall, totaling 33 tackles (17 solo), four interceptions, 12 passes defended, 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. His four interceptions and 12 passes defended are tied for the second-most in the league. Wright posted a career-best 12 tackles (6 solo) against the University of Mount Union. 

Wright is Westminster's first Newcomer of the Year award winner. 

The Coach of the Year citation is Lackner's first. He guided Carnegie Mellon to an 8-2 overall record and 8-1 conference record in 2021, securing a share of the PAC title for the first time since 1989 and the league's automatic qualifying bid to the Division III Championship. The PAC is one of 27 conferences granted automatic qualification (Pool A) to the Division III Championship. It is the program’s eighth PAC championship. Carnegie Mellon will be making its seventh all-time appearance in the Division III Championship Saturday afternoon at No. 1 North Central College. 

Lackner owns a career record of 234-125-2 and is tied for the third-most victories among active Division III coaches. 

In addition to Carnegie Mellon representing the PAC in the Division III Championship, four PAC programs secured invitations to compete in this year’s Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Bowl series this Saturday: Westminster (8-2) will host Hobart College (8-2) of the Liberty League in the Asa S. Bushnell Bowl at Memorial Field inside Harold Burry Stadium in New Wilmington; Washington & Jefferson College (8-2) will travel to SUNY Brockport (7-3) of the Empire 8 for the Clayton Chapman Bowl at Bob Boozer Field in Brockport, N.Y.; Grove City (7-3) will host Utica College (6-4) of the Empire 8 at Robert E. Thorn Field in Grove City; and Saint Vincent College (5-5) will travel to Fairleigh Dickinson-Florham (6-4) of the Middle Atlantic Conference for the James Lynah Bowl at Robert T. Shields Field in Madison, N.J.

The five teams competing in the postseason tied a PAC single-season record.

2021 PAC Award Winners
PAC Offensive Most Valuable Player: Grove City senior wide receiver Cody Gustafson (Shippensburg, Pa. | Shippensburg)
PAC Defensive Most Valuable Player: Westminster senior defensive end Brayden Thimons (Natrona Heights, Pa. | Highlands)
PAC Newcomer of the Year: Westminster first-year defensive back Kevin Wright (West Palm Beach, Fla. | Seminole Ridge)
PAC Coach of the Year: Carnegie Mellon head coach Rich Lackner
 

All-PAC First Team–Offense
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown | High School
OL	Sean Pogorelc	Carnegie Mellon	Gr.	Centreville, Va. | Chantilly
OL	Anthony Polizzi	Case Western Reserve	Gr.	Brockport, N.Y. | Brockport
OL	Vinnie LePre	Grove City	Jr.	Pine Grove, Pa. | Pine Grove
OL	Angelo Fratini	W&J	Jr.	Burgettstown, Pa. | Burgettstown
OL	Gabe Cleveland	Westminster	Sr.	Cumming, Ga. | South Forsyth
TE/HB/FB	Quinn Murray	Carnegie Mellon	Jr.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Upper St. Clair
WR	Cody Gustafson	Grove City	Sr.	Shippensburg, Pa. | Shippensburg
WR	Andrew Wolf	W&J	Sr.	Ashland, Ohio | Hillsdale
QB	Drew Saxton	Case Western Reserve	Sr.	South Fayette, Pa. | South Fayette
RB	Tre Vasiliadis	Carnegie Mellon	So.	Great Falls, Va. | Langley
RB	Antonio Orsini	Case Western Reserve	Jr.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Upper St. Clair
A-P	Amos Luptak	Geneva	Sr.	Sewickley, Pa. | Quaker Valley

 

All-PAC First Team–Defense
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown | High School
DL	Ben Coyne	Carnegie Mellon	Jr.	McDonald, Pa. | South Fayette
DL	RJ Debo	Grove City	Sr.	New Brighton, Pa. | New Brighton
DL	Alex Keith	W&J	Jr.	Hartville, Ohio | Lake
DL	Brayden Thimons	Westminster	Sr.	Natrona Heights, Pa. | Highlands
LB	Robert Coury	Carnegie Mellon	So.	Phillipsburg, N.J. | Phillipsburg
LB	Thomas Coury	Carnegie Mellon	So.	Phillipsburg, N.J. | Phillipsburg
LB	Sean Doran	W&J	Sr.	New Castle, Pa. | Neshannock
LB	Ian Barr	Westminster	Sr.	State College, Pa. | State College
DB	Sean Knight	Carnegie Mellon	Sr.	New Canaan, Conn. | New Canaan
DB	Patrick Mark	Grove City	Sr.	Palm Beach Gardens, Fla. | Wellington
DB	Drew Ehrlich	W&J	Jr.	Annapolis, Md. | Gilman School
DB	Bryce Thomas	Westminster	Sr.	Saint Marys, Ga. | Camden County

   

All-PAC First Team–Special Teams
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown | High School
K	Josh Byers	Westminster	Jr.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Canon-McMillan
P	Jake Sarver	W&J	Sr.	Sarver, Pa. | Freeport
RET	Justin Huss	W&J	So.	Derry, Pa. | Derry

 

All-PAC Second Team–Offense
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown | High School
OL	Dan Belardi	Carnegie Mellon	Jr.	Scranton, Pa. | Scranton Prep.
OL	Josh Blamer	Case Western Reserve	Sr.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Seton LaSalle
OL	Andy Mellinger	Geneva	So.	White Oak, Pa. | McKeesport
OL	Leon Middleton	W&J	Jr.	Waldorf, Md. | Thomas Stone
OL	Jake Rocco	Westminster	Gr.	Cranberry Township, Pa. | Seneca Valley
TE/HB/FB	Jared Ozias	Geneva	Jr.	Connellsville, Pa. | Connellsville
WR	Molayo Irefin	Saint Vincent	So.	Bowie, Md. | Archbishop Spalding
WR	Ty Eilam	Westminster	So.	Sharon, Pa. | Sharon
QB	Cole Konieczka	Westminster	Sr.	Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon
RB	Clayton Parrish	Grove City	Jr.	Mercer, Pa. | West Middlesex
RB	Joey Koroly	W&J	Jr.	Washington, Pa. | Trinity
A-P	Chevy Dawson	Westminster	Jr.	Port St. Lucie, Fla. | Centennial

 

All-PAC Second Team–Defense
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown | High School
DL	Thor Truelson	Carnegie Mellon	So.	Fort Worth, Texas | Trinity Valley
DL	Noah Castor	Carnegie Mellon	Sr.	Ewing, N.J. | Ewing
DL	Keith Knowell	W&J	Sr.	McKeesport, Pa. | McKeesport
DL	Frank Antuano	Westminster	Sr.	New Castle, Pa. | Neshannock
LB	Kaden Romero	Geneva	So.	Red Rock, Okla. | Putnam City North
LB	Parker Kilgore	Grove City	Sr.	Glenshaw, Pa. | Shaler
LB	Cam Norris	Saint Vincent	Gr.	Roaring Spring, Pa. | Central
LB	Nick Treloar	Westminster	Jr.	New Castle, Pa. | New Castle
DB	Danny Gilbert Jr.	Bethany	Sr.	Miami, Fla. | South Adult Education
DB	Aryan Hegde	Carnegie Mellon	Jr.	Brambleton, Va. | Rock Ridge
DB	Max Garda	W&J	Sr.	Lower Burrell, Pa. | Burrell
DB	Kevin Wright	Westminster	Fr.	West Palm Beach, Fla. | Seminole Ridge

 

All-PAC Second Team–Special Teams
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown | High School
K	Keegan Raabe	Waynesburg	So.	Tyrone, Pa. | Tyrone
P	Casey Jaeb	Carnegie Mellon	Jr.	San Jose, Calif. | Bellarmine Prep.
RET	Gabe Dunlap	Grove City	So.	Harrison City, Pa. | Penn-Trafford

 

All-PAC Honorable Mention–Offense
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown | High School
OL	Ty Spaltzholz	Carnegie Mellon	Jr.	South Milwaukee, Wis. | South Milwaukee
OL	Louie Delcolle	Geneva	Jr.	Youngstown, Ohio | Ursuline
OL	Lukas Lamer	Geneva	Sr.	Brackenridge, Pa. | Highlands
OL	Dylan Lane	Grove City	Fr.	Pendergrass, Ga. | Mill Creek
OL	Nathan Bettwy	Saint Vincent	So.	Duncansville, Pa. | Hollidaysburg
OL	CJ Ciecierski	Saint Vincent	So.	Murrysville, Pa. | Franklin Regional
OL	Connor Walsh	W&J	Sr.	Katy, Texas | Cinco Ranch
OL	Eric McDowell	Waynesburg	Sr.	Shady Side, Md. | Bishop McNamara
TE/HB/FB	Robert Tamburrino	Grove City	So.	Rock Creek, Ohio | Notre Dame Catholic Latin
TE/HB/FB	Damon Maul	Westminster	Jr.	Portage, Pa. | Cambria Heights
WR	Brennan Secrist	Bethany	So.	Weirton, W.Va. | Madonna
WR	Kris Hughes	Carnegie Mellon	Sr.	Springboro, Ohio | Springboro
WR	Lucas DeCaro	Case Western Reserve	Jr.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Mount Lebanon
WR	Colt Morgan	Case Western Reserve	Sr.	Wooster, Ohio | Wooster
WR	Scott Fraser	Grove City	So.	Butler, Pa. | Knoch
WR	Payton Skalos	W&J	Sr.	Cranberry Township, Pa. | Seneca Valley
WR	Dakota Romantino	Waynesburg	Fr.	Charleroi, Pa. | Charleroi
WR	Denny Dennison	Westminster	Sr.	Windsor, Pa. | Red Lion
QB	Josh Ehst	Grove City	Sr.	Douglasville, Pa. | Daniel Boone
QB	Brady Walker	Saint Vincent	Jr.	Monroeville, Pa. | Gateway
RB	Nico Flati	Grove City	Fr.	Aliquippa, Pa. | West Allegheny
RB	Justin Flack	Waynesburg	Jr.	Derry, Pa. | Derry
RB	Ryan Gomes	Westminster	Jr.	Tampa, Fla. | Walter L. Sickles
A-P	De'Vaughn McWhorter	Bethany	Jr.	Wheeling, W.Va. | Wheeling Park

 

All-PAC Honorable Mention–Defense
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown | High School
DL	Jordan Aldridge	Bethany	Jr.	Wheeling, W.Va. | Wheeling Park
DL	Kaden Tong	Case Western Reserve	So.	Powell, Ohio | Olentangy Liberty
DL	Haddon Schlarbaum	Geneva	Jr.	Riverview, Fla. | Newsome
DL	James Parenti	Grove City	Jr.	Hilliards, Pa. | Moniteau
DL	Dom Knierman	Thiel	Jr.	Espyville, Pa. | Conneaut
DL	Elijah Goosby	W&J	Sr.	Rochester, Pa. | Rochester
DL	Tyree Reeder	Westminster	Sr.	Youngstown, Ohio | Ursuline
DL	Noah Crawford	Westminster	Sr.	Ashburn, Va. | Stone Bridge
LB	Rondell Lewis	Bethany	So.	Beachwood, Ohio | Beachwood
LB	Ryan Fleming	Grove City	Jr.	Bridgeville, Pa. | South Fayette
LB	Joanes Polynice	Saint Vincent	Fr.	Winter Garden, Fla. | West Orange
LB	Joe Stoutamire	Thiel	Jr.	Clairton, Pa. | Clairton
LB	Tanner Volpatti	W&J	Jr.	Bethel Park, Pa. | Bethel Park
LB	Jarred Kohl	Westminster	Jr.	York, Pa. | York Catholic
DB	Dadrick Vickers	Bethany	Jr.	Miami Gardens, Fla. | Miami Norland
DB	Kevin Arcia	Carnegie Mellon	Jr.	Doral, Fla. | Doral Academy Charter
DB	Nick Cizik	Carnegie Mellon	Sr.	Portland, Ore. | Sunset
DB	Colin Schuster	Case Western Reserve	Sr.	Pittsburgh, Pa. | Minooka Community (Ill.)
DB	D.J. Wolf	Case Western Reserve	Sr.	Mentor, Ohio | Mentor
DB	James Clark	Geneva	So.	Fairfax, Va. | Wakefield
DB	Damian Lomeli	Geneva	So.	Tampa, Fla. | Gaither
DB	Branden Caffrey	Grove City	Sr.	Ashburn, Va. | John Champe
DB	Jaden Pratt	Saint Vincent	Fr.	Odenton, Md. | Arundel
DB	Nick Freiwald	W&J	Sr.	Clairton, Pa. | Thomas Jefferson
DB	Delonta Nunnally	W&J	Sr.	Waldorf, Md. | Thomas Stone
DB	James Davis	Waynesburg	Fr.	Kersey, Pa. | Saint Mary's
DB	Brice Butler	Westminster	Fr.	Farrell, Pa. | Farrell

 

All-PAC Honorable Mention–Special Teams
Pos.	Name	School	Yr.	Hometown | High School
K	Nick Morrow	Grove City	Sr.	Moon Township, Pa. | Moon
K	Adam Koscielicki	Saint Vincent	Fr.	Loveland, Ohio | Loveland
P	Joseph Rhodes V	Case Western Reserve	Fr.	Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. | Palos Verdes Peninsula
RET	Hilton McClain Jr.	Geneva	So.	Belle Glade, Fla. | Royal Palm Beach

 

PAC Sportsmanship Team
The PAC Sportsmanship Teams were established to recognize student-athletes who have distinguished themselves through demonstrated acts of sportsmanship and ethical behavior and are an ongoing effort to recognize and encourage positive sportsmanship among all PAC teams and student-athletes.
Name	School	Pos.	Yr.	Hometown | High School
Dom Salinetro	Bethany	QB	Sr.	Landisburg, Pa. | West Perry
Rocky Chirieleison	Carnegie Mellon	DL	Sr.	Pottstown, Pa. | The Hill School
Donny Genetin Jr.	Case Western Reserve	WR	Gr.	North Canton, Ohio | Hoover
Peyton Schell	Geneva	WR	Sr.	Sharpsville, Pa. | Sharpsville
Lance Klinefelter	Grove City	OL	Sr.	Winfield, Pa. | Lewisburg
Joseph Valdez	Saint Vincent	OL	Sr.	Bronx, N.Y. | High School for Careers in Sports
Ryan Stiles	Thiel	DT	Sr.	Anchorage, Alaska | Service
Josh Burns	W&J	WR	Sr.	Coraopolis, Pa. | Moon
Nick Hall	Waynesburg	RB	Sr.	Fayette City, Pa. | Belle Vernon
Bryce Sallack	Westminster	TE	Sr.	Luthersburg, Pa. | DuBois