Mike Ahonen, Connor McClellan, Owen Thornton and William Zambito of the Middlebury football program have been named College Sports Communicators (CSC) All-District selections.

HONOREE HIGHLIGHTS

• Ahonen
  • Ahonen is a double major in international politics and economics and Italian and earns all-district praise for the first time.
  • The captain has been tabbed a NESCAC All-Academic honoree twice.
  • Ahonen was named an All-NESCAC Second-Team Offense selection for the second-straight year.
  • The wide receiver led the Panthers with career highs in yards (571) and receptions (43). 
  • His best game came in the season opener against Wesleyan, recording seven receptions for 108 yards.
  • Ahonen finishes his career with 112 receptions for 1,403 yards and seven touchdowns over 26 contests played.
• McClellan
  • McClellan secures his initial all-district accolade.
  • The economics major became the 92nd player in program history to be named a NESCAC First Team honoree, garnering a place on the league's offensive recipients.
  • The running back excelled on the gridiron, tallying 959 yards on 199 attempts alongside 13 touchdowns.
  • His touchdown total is second in the program's single-season record book, while his carries and yardage totals are third.
  • McClellan surpassed 100 rushing yards in four contests last fall. His best game came with 35 carries for 216 yards and two touchdowns in a 24-21 victory over Hamilton.
  • Through two seasons, the Panther has logged 1,389 rushing yards on 282 touches and 20 touchdowns. He also has 21 catches for 168 yards.
• Thornton
  • A computer science major, Thornton tallies his first CSC Academic All-District honor.
  • The Panther was named to the Associated Press (AP) Division III All-America Third Team as a long snapper.
  • Thornton also claimed D3football.com All-Region 1 and All-NESCAC First Team honors.
  • He was a top performer on the defensive side of the ball, tallying 25 total tackles (16 assisted, nine solo) over nine contests as a linebacker.
  • Thornton is a three-time NESCAC All-Academic team member.
  • The senior caps his Middlebury career with 59 total tackles, four passes defensed, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks over 36 contests.
• Zambito
  • The selection is the first all-district award for Zambito.
  • In his final season, the offensive lineman was an All-NESCAC Second Team honoree.
  • He helped lead the conference's third-ranked rushing offense (1,293 yards) and anchored a unit that paced the NESCAC with 612 plays run.
  • The Panthers were the second-best red zone conversion team in the league with an 85.3 percent conversion rate.
  • Zambito is a three-time NESCAC All-Academic honoree and started 18 consecutive contests to close his career.

The organization will announce its football Academic All-American selections on Tuesday, January 27.