April 17, 2008
(portions of this release courtesy of Larry Happel, Central College sports information director)

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA . . . Twelve Iowa Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC) football players have been cited for inclusion in the 2008 National Football Foundation (NFF) Hampshire Honor Society. 2007 IIAC Champion Central College had 11 players selected in addition to Wartburg College senior wide receiver Kyle Duchman (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls). Central's total ranked as the most among NCAA Division III schools and the second-highest total of any U.S. college or university.

The society recognizes senior football players who are starters or significant reserves and carry a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher. Only the University of Dayton, with 13 honorees, topped Central. In addition to the 12 Iowa Conference representatives, three players from the University of Iowa were honored while Grinnell College, Northwestern (Iowa) College, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa each had one student-athlete recognized.

Duchman was the recipient of one of 58 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships awarded to fall sport student-athletes in February.

Central’s honorees include linebackers Greg Altmaier (Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City) and Scott Paja (Stockton, Ill./Stockton), stingers Dustyn Baethke (Williamsburg, Iowa/Williamsburg), Trenton Blythe (Williamsburg, Iowa/Williamsburg), and Aaron Rasmussen (Corwith, Iowa/West Hancock), offensive lineman Keith Bowers (Zearing, Iowa/Colo-NESCO), defensive backs Guy Dierikx (Port Byron, Ill/Riverdale) and Brett Doud (Oskaloosa, Iowa/Oskaloosa), wide receivers Cody Huisman (Mason City, Iowa/Mason City) and Josh Smith (Pella, Iowa/Pella), and running back Vance Schuring (Pella, Iowa/Pella).

Other Iowa honorees include Mike Humpal, Mike Klinkenborg and Adam Shada of Iowa, Nick Merklin of Grinnell, Scott Stahl of Northwestern (Iowa), Chad Rinehart of Northern Iowa and Bryce Braaksma of Iowa State. Nationwide, 441 players from 227 schools qualified.

Central’s 11 honorees helped lead coach Jeff McMartin’s squad to its third straight Iowa Conference title and a third consecutive NCAA Division III playoff berth. The Dutch advanced to the national quarterfinals and posted a 12-1 record.

Eight of Central’s 11 honorees were also all-Iowa Conference picks during their careers while Dierikx, Altmaier and Schuring received all-America recognition. Duchman was an honorable mention all-Iowa Conference pick this season.

The Hampshire Honor Society is the latest component of the National Football Foundation’s efforts to promote combined athletic and academic success. The NFF’s National Scholar-Athlete Awards program, launched in 1959, was the first to credit a player for academic success, football performance and community leadership.

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