Wheaton, Ill. –The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) announced its All-Conference football team on Wednesday. Wheaton was well represented with 17 All-CCIW selections, a new school best. Additionally, Wheaton won two special awards. Thunder head coach Mike Swider was named the Bob Reade Coach of the Year and defensive lineman Dallas McRae was named the Don Larson Defensive Player of the Year.

Swider (PICTURED RIGHT) earns the Bob Reade Coach of the Year award for the seventh time in his career, also winning the honor in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2014 and 2015. The veteran head coach guided Wheaton to a 10-0 regular season this fall and an 8-0 CCIW record. Swider is only the second coach in CCIW history to win the award seven times since it was established in 1978. He is one behind former Augustana head coach Bob Reade's eight career Coach of the Year awards. Swider is in his 24th season as Wheaton's head coach, with a 207-51 record at the helm of the program.

McRae was named as the Defensive Player of the year and picked up First Team All-CCIW honors. It is McRae's second-consecutive All-Conference selection, earning Second Team honors in 2018. The senior defensive tackle is the 13^th Wheaton student-athlete to win the Don Larson Defensive Player of the Year Award. His selection marks the fifth time in six years that a Wheaton player won the Defensive Player of the Year Award. Overall this season McRae had 43 total tackles, including 28 solo hits. He lead Wheaton with 15.5 tackles for loss (-86 yards), including 6.5 sacks (-57 yards). In CCIW play, McRae led the Thunder with 13.5 tackles for lost yardage this season (-77 yards), and he tied for the team lead with 6.5 quarterback sacks (-57 yards). He tallied 34 total tackles this season, including 23 solo stops. McRae forced a fumble and registered a team-best seven quarterback hurries.

McRae is joined on the All-CCIW First Team by fellow defensive lineman Patrick O'Connell. In CCIW play, O'Connell had 30 total tackles, with 22 solo stops. He made 10 tackles for loss (-39 yards), including five sacks (-24 yards). O'Connell is a three-time All-CCIW selection earning First Team honors in 2018 and Second Team recognition in 2017.

Ryan Schwartz picked up First Team All-CCIW honors at linebacker. In eight conference games, Schwartz had 58 total tackles, including 40 solo tackles. He recorded five tackles for loss (-24 yards) in conference action with one sack (-yards). He recovered one fumble in league play.
 
A pair of Thunder defensive backs earned First Team All-CCIW recognition as Corey Kennedy and Spencer Rowland earned the honor. Kennedy is a two-time All-CCIW honoree with Second Team recognition in 2018. In CCIW play, he made 27 total tackles, including 17 solo stops. In conference play, Rowland made 27 total tackles, with 23 solo hits. He led the Thunder with three interceptions and broke up 11 passes.

Adam Terrini picked up First Team All-CCIW honors at wide receiver. Terrini led the Thunder in conference play with 42 catches for 730 yards. The senior averaged 17.4 yards per play and had 10 touchdown catches in conference play.

Three Thunder offensive lineman earned All-CCIW honors as Jake Hibben and Gabriel McGill earned First Team honors. Clay Wagner was a Second Team All-CCIW honoree. Wagner is a two-time All-CCIW selection, picking up First Team honors in 2018. The trio played a key role for a Wheaton offense that averaged 48.9 points per game. Wheaton averaged 501.8 yards per game this year, with 233.8 yards on the ground per game and an average of 268.0 yards per pass.

Thunder kicker Griffin Bowes earned First Team All-CCIW recognition. Bowed converted nine of his 13 field goal attempts in CCIW play this season. The senior had a season-long kick of 46 yards in league action. Bowes made 54 of his 56 PAT attempts this year.

Jake Holaday and River Shindledecker earned Second Team honors on the defensive line. Holaday was third on the team with 38 tackles in conference play, including 18 solo tackles. The junior made 7.5 tackles for loss (-28 yards) in conference play, including 2.5 sacks (-18 yards). He had three quarterback hurries, forced one fumble and recovered a fumble. Shindledecker made 29 total tackles in league action, including 16 solo tackles. He made 11 tackles for loss in league play (-61 yards), including 6.5 sacks (-49 yards). He was tied for the team lead in sacks an added seven quarterback hurries, tying for the team lead.

Wyatt Lee picked up Second Team All-CCIW honors. Lee ranked second among Thunder players in conference play with 44 total tackles, including 26 solo tackles. Lee registered 7.5 tackles for loss (-41 yards), including 2.5 sacks (-25 yards).

Senior Caden Sigler earned Second Team All-CCIW recognition at defensive back. Sigler tallied 17 total tackles in league play, including nine solo stops. Sigler had three passes broken up and returned two interceptions for 100 yards in league play.

Quarterback Luke Anthony garnered Second Team All-CCIW honors in his first season under center for the Thunder. Anthony completed 68.4% of his passes in CCIW play this season with 132 completions on 193 attempts. The sophomore passed for 1,971 yards with 22 touchdown passes.

Sophomore running back T.J. Williams also picked up Second Team All-Conference recognition. Williams ran for 693 yards in CCIW play this season on 108 attempts as he averaged 6.4 yards per carry. Williams had 15 receptions this season for 142 yards, averaging 9.5 yards per catch. He ran for six touchdowns this season and had a pair of touchdown catches.

Senior Phillip Nichols earned Second Team All-CCIW honors for his third career All-Conference recognition at wide receiver. He was a Second Team All-CCIW honor at receiver in 2018 and a First Team pick in 2017. In CCIW play this year, Nichols caught 41 passes in seven games. He averaged 15.7 yards per catch with 645 receiving yards. The senior made five touchdown catches in conference play this season.