From Washington University Athletics
Washington University in St. Louis had five student-athletes named to the 2016 D3football.com All-South Region Team, as announced by the website.
Senior tight end Matt Page highlighted the honorees by earning first-team honors, while freshman punter Johnny Davidson, senior center John Doty, senior wide receiver Kevin Hammarlund and sophomore safety Ben Marcus picked up second-team accolades.
Page, a first-team all-Southern Athletic Association (SAA) and all-University Athletic Association (UAA) honoree, led NCAA Division III tight ends with 63 catches for 873 yards. He also had 12 touchdown receptions, which was second in both leagues. Page had two games with over 100 receiving yards, including a career-high nine catches for 191 yards and a pair of TDs in a 43-34 win at the University of Chicago Nov. 12. He was a two-time D3football.com Team of the Week selection, and earned UAA Offensive Athlete of the Week honors on Sept. 6.
Davidson, the 2016 UAA Special Teams Player of the Year, was second in the SAA and 18th in NCAA Division III with a 41.1 average. He had 18 punts land inside the 20 and recorded 10 fair catches. In addition, Davidson and the Bears' punt team ranked second in NCAA Division III in net punting (39.8) and sixth in punt return defense (1.38 yards per game). He was a second-team all-SAA and all-UAA selection, and earned UAA Special Teams Athlete of the Week honors three times.
Doty started the final 31 games of his career on the offensive line for the Bears, who averaged 36.6 points and 482.9 yards per game. The Bears scored 30 or more points in nine games, including three games of 40 or more. In addition, the O-Line led both leagues and ranked 18th in Division III in sacks allowed per game (1.00). The Bears offense broke seven school records in 2016.
Hammarlund led the SAA and UAA with a WashU single-season school record 100 receptions for 1,365 yards. He also led both leagues with 13 touchdowns. Hammarlund ranked sixth in NCAA Division III in receptions per game (9.1) and receiving yards per game (124.1), and was also 12th in receiving TDs. Hammarlund had nine games with over 100 receiving yards, including a career-high 10 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns in a 56-35 win at Rhodes College Oct. 8. He was a first-team all-SAA and all-UAA selection, and ranks second in school history in receptions (235) and receiving yards (3,106).
Marcus started all 11 games for the Bears and finished tied for the team lead in interceptions (4) and second in tackles (101). He also finished third in the SAA in interceptions and fifth in tackles per game (9.2). Marcus recorded four games with double-digit tackles, including a career-high 17 stops and an interception in a 49-46 win over Hendrix College Nov. 5. He was a first-team selection in both leagues, and earned D3football.com Team of the Week honors on Nov. 8 and Nov. 15.
WashU finished the 2016 season with an 8-3 overall record and made its third NCAA playoff appearance in school history. The eight wins are the second most in school history. The Bears were also co-champions in the SAA and UAA.