Football | 12/21/2017 6:58:00 AM

Waco, Texas----The Wingate University football team (9-2 overall, 6-1 SAC) finishes the 2017 season as the number 24 team in the AFCA/NCAA Division II Coaches' top 25 poll, officials announce Monday. The South Atlantic Conference champion Bulldogs qualified for the NCAA Division II play-offs this year, winning a school record-tying nine games on the way to their league title.
 
Wingate is ranked for the seventh consecutive week in the AFCA poll. The Bulldogs started the seven-week streak at number 24 (Oct. 9), moved to number 20 (Oct.16), advanced to number 16 (Oct. 23), charted at number 14 (Oct. 30), appeared at number 12 (Nov. 6) and wrapped the regular season at number 16 (Nov. 13) in the previous six listings.
 
2017 SEASON-IN-REVIEW CAPSULE
 
Two Bulldogs received All-American honors. Wingate redshirt sophomore return specialist/wide receiver BJ Muckelvene (Waxhaw, N.C.) was named to the AFCA NCAA Division II All-American second team by the American Football Coaches Association. Muckelvene made the AFCA honor squad as the second team all-purpose player.
 
Wingate redshirt senior offensive lineman Daniel Owens (Cherryville, N.C.) was an Associated Press NCAA Division II All-America second team member. Owens was the first Wingate offensive lineman to make an All-American team since 1990.
 
Ten members of the South Atlantic Conference champion Wingate University Bulldogs were All-SAC selections. Senior running back Lawrence Pittman (Charlotte, N.C.) was the SAC Offensive Player of the Year, while Owens won the league's coveted Jacobs Blocking Trophy. Wingate head coach Joe Reich was the 2017 SAC Coach of the Year, as voted by his peers.
 
Pittman, Owens and Muckelvene were first team All-SAC selections, along with redshirt senior defensive lineman Auntrell Mack (Irmo, S.C.). Six Bulldogs were second team All-SAC choices, led by senior running back Blake Hayes (Greenville, S.C.) and redshirt senior tight end Jake Jensen (Fayetteville, N.C.).
 
Two of four team captains for the 2017 Bulldogs, Hayes and Jensen join Pittman and Owens as returning All-SAC performers. In addition to Hayes and Jensen, Wingate's All-SAC second team performers included sophomore offensive lineman Connor Baroniunas (Apex, N.C.), redshirt junior defensive back Kam Johnson (Durham, N.C.), redshirt junior defensive end Cardell Rawlings (Smithfield, N.C.) and redshirt sophomore linebacker Robbie Wallace (Covington, Ga.).
 
Wingate redshirt junior punter Christopher Birozes (Suwanee, Ga.) and redshirt senior linebacker Zack Singleton (Germanton, N.C.) were named to the Academic All-America® NCAA Division II football second team, selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Birozes was honored for the second time, while Singleton received Academic All-America® laurels for the first time. Wingate Football has 14 Academic All-America® honorees lifetime.
 
In November, six Wingate football student-athletes were named to the 2017 Academic All-Super Region 2 team, selected by CoSIDA. Singleton returned from the 2016 squad, one of four Wingate student-athletes to receive Academic All-Super Region 2 team honors twice in his career. Owens and fellow Bulldog offensive linemen Cabell Cantrell (Walhalla, S.C.) were named to the 2015 Academic All-Super Region 2 team with Birozes. Offensive linemen Baroniunas and Andrew Strickland (Raleigh, N.C.) round out Wingate's six 2017 Academic All-Super Region 2 team selections. Wingate's six picks were the most in Super Region 2. South Atlantic Conference neighbor Newberry had five, while West Florida (NCAA Division II runner-up) has four.
 
AFCA POLL HISTORY
 
Wingate's best AFCA ranking was its number 12 listing (Nov. 6). In years previous, the Bulldogs' top ranking was number 15 (twice) during the 2008 season. The Bulldogs were ranked number 15 during back-to-back weeks (Oct. 7, Oct. 14) in the 2008 AFCA top 25.
 
Wingate is listed in the AFCA top 25 poll for the 33rd time in school history and the seventh time this season. The Bulldogs were ranked five times in 2004, two times in 2006, six times in 2007, seven times in 2008, one time in 2010, two times in 2011, two times in 2015, one time in 2016 and seven times in 2017.
 
WINGATE UNIVERSITY
 
Wingate University, consistently ranked as a top 10 "best value" in the South by U.S. News & World Report, serves more than 3,600 students on three campuses in Wingate, Charlotte and Hendersonville, N.C. Founded in 1896, the University offers 35 undergraduate majors, 35 minors, 12 career concentrations, nine pre-professional programs, master's degrees in accounting, business, education, physician assistant studies and sport management and doctorates in education, pharmacy and physical therapy.
 
With a 14 to 1 student/teacher ratio, Wingate students gain the tools and support needed to excel in academics and apply that learning toward an extraordinary career and life. To view current news, video and story ideas, visit www.youtube.com/wingateuniversity. 
 
In addition to a robust intramural athletics program, Wingate student athletes compete in 22 NCAA Division II sports. The University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past 11 years. For more information, go to www.wingate.edu.
                          
Wingate is first among NCAA Division II Academic All-America®-producing colleges in the 2000's with 99 selections. Among North Carolina's colleges and universities, Wingate is number one in this millennium with 99 Academic All-America® honorees. Wingate is tops among all SAC schools with 108 lifetime Academic All-America® picks. For more information on WU athletics, go to www.wingatebulldogs.com.