Middlebury football players Connor McClellan and Owen Thornton have been named to the All-NESCAC First Team, while Mike Ahonen, William Zambito and Tony Wang garnered spots on the second team.

HONOREE HIGHLIGHTS

• McClellan (First Team Offense)
  • McClellan garners his initial all-league accolade.
  • The Panther paced the conference in rushing attempts (199), rushing yards (959) and rushing touchdowns (13). The touchdown total is the highest among league peers.
  • The sophomore ripped off a career-best 70-yard run this season at Williams.
  • He also caught 16 balls for 130 yards, highlighted by a 27-yard catch against Trinity. 
  • McClellan has amassed 1,389 yards on the ground on 282 attempts with 20 rushing touchdowns through his first two campaigns. The touchdown total ranks fifth in program history.
• Thornton (First Team Special Teams)
  • Thornton earns his first all-conference nod as a Panther for his efforts as the squad's long snapper. 
  • In addition to his duties on the Middlebury punt team, the captain contributed 25 tackles, one sack and one interception at the linebacker position.
  • The senior logged a season-high five tackles in the lidlifter at Wesleyan.
  • His second career pick came in the second quarter against Trinity.
• Ahonen (Second Team Offense)
  • Ahonen secured All-NESCAC Second Team praise for the second-consecutive campaign.
  • The captain hauled in 43 receptions for 571 yards in his final season with the Panthers, setting career marks in catches and yards while pacing the league in the latter. He averaged 63.4 receiving yards per contest, marking his highest collegiate per-game tally.
  • Ahonen led Middlebury in yardage in six of the team's nine bouts this season. His highest yardage total came in the opener, notching seven grabs for 108 yards.
• Zambito (Second Team Offense)
  • Zambito receives his first all-league laurel.
  • The offensive lineman paved the way for a unit that slotted third in the conference in rushing yards per game (143.7) and fourth in total yards per game (360).
  • Zambito and his offensive teammates spent more time on the field than their NESCAC peers. Middlebury ran 612 offensive plays this fall, 15 more than the second-highest total.
• Wang (Second Team Special Teams)
  • Wang collects all-conference honors for the first time in his initial season as the squad's placekicker. He also handled kickoff duties.
  • The Panther averaged 1.22 field goals per game, the sixth-best output among his Division III peers. He also slotted 23rd nationally in field goal percentage (.786).
  • Wang averaged 6.2 points per game, ranking third in scoring in the conference.
  • The senior set a single-season program record with 11 made field goals, nailing a 35-yarder in the finale against Tufts to break a tie with three Panthers.
  • Wang also headlined the NESCAC's best kickoff unit, sitting atop the conference with 35 touchbacks and 58.8 yards per boot. The Panthers conceded just 138 kick return yards, also the fewest in the league.

This marks the fifth-straight year that Middlebury has earned five or more All-NESCAC nods.