18 Football Players Garner All-UAA Selections

Nov. 20 – (ROCHESTER, N.Y.) – The Carnegie Mellon University football team had 18 players receive All-University Athletic Association (UAA) honors for the 2007 season, as announced Tuesday, November 20 by the league coaches.  The Tartans land eight first team selections including senior fullback Travis Sivek (Traverse City, Mich./St. Francis) who was named Co-Offensive Player of the Year.  This marks the second straight season Sivek has garnered the honor.  He shares this year’s honor with Case Western Reserve’s quarterback Dan Whalen.

Joining Carnegie Mellon’s fullback on the top team was fellow senior back Robert Gimson (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla./The Benjamin School), senior tackle Andrew Althouse (Wyomissing, Pa.), junior tackle Brian Freeman (Independence, Ohio/Padua Franciscan), senior outside linebacker Jonathan Bodnar (Cheswick, Pa./Deer Lakes), senior nose guard Michael Reggie (Columbus, Ohio/St. Charles Prep), junior defensive lineman Clay Crites (Tuscarawas, Ohio/Indian Valley) and senior punter Matthew Adams (Dublin, Ohio/Dublin Scioto).

Sivek and Gimson were tops in the association in rushing yards, as both backs eclipsed the 1,000 mark for the second straight season.  Sivek ended the season with 1,115 yards while Gimson had 1,076.  Sivek also led the league in scoring with 96 points, 8.7 per game.   This marked the fourth straight season Sivek has led the association in both categories.  

The duo ended their Tartan careers on the school’s all-time rushing charts.  Sivek ranks first with 4,183 yards and Gimson third with 2,712.  Sivek scored in ten of eleven games this season making him the school’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns while ranking him 18th on the NCAA Division III scoring list with 354 points for his career.

Together the offense led the UAA on the ground with 277.0 yards per contest for the second straight season thanks to the great blocking from the offense line.  Also playing a factor was senior running back Colby Whitman (Sarasota, Fla./Cardinal Mooney) who garnered second team honors.

Three other offensive linemen were recognized with second team All-UAA accolades.  Senior offensive guard Jameson O'Donnell (Marianna, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic), senior center Anthony Ciotti (Selinsgrove, Pa.) and junior tight end Derek Wisnieski (Indiana, Pa.).

On the defensive side of the ball, the line was honored with three members.  Besides Reggie and Crites, senior Richard Hauffe (Manassas, Va./Osbourn) received honorable mention status.  The three up front accounted for 13 of the Tartans 20 sacks and had over half of the teams tackles for a loss in 2007.

The only other defensive player on the first team was Bodnar, but fellow senior outside linebacker Trent Sisson (Novi, Mich.) claimed second team honors.  Bodnar recorded a career-high three interceptions including one returned 40 yards for a touchdown.  Bodnar finished second on the team in tackles with 68 and forced one fumble.  Sisson tallied 58 tackles finishing fourth on the team.

The secondary was recognized with three players named All-UAA.  Senior safety Jonathan Scholl (Coraopolis, Pa./Pittsburgh Central Catholic) and junior cornerback Steve McGovern (Sunnyvale, Calif./Bellarmine Prep) were named second team, as sophomore safety Josh Kresge (East Greenville, Pa./Upper Perkiomen) was honorable mention.  Scholl led the team in tackles with 112, 56 solo stops, and forced a team-high two fumbles.  McGovern and Kresge tied for the team lead in interceptions with four apiece.  The three Tartans combined for nine of the Tartans 18 picks.   

Adams and sophomore kick returner David Babcock (Coudersport, Pa.) were each honored for special teams.  Adams, a three-time first team selection, averaged 39.2 yards per punt with a school record long kick of 70 yards.  The senior also placed 17 punts inside the 20-yard line.  Babcock, a first time honoree, led the UAA in kick returns with an average of 20.7 yards per return.