Wheaton, Ill. – Five members of the Wheaton Thunder football team were selected to the 2019 D3football.com All-America Team, as announced by the website on Friday night. Senior Dallas McRae was a First Team selection, seniors Jake Hibben and Spencer Rowland (PICTURED LEFT) join junior Ryan Schwartz on the Third Team and senior Patrick O'Connell is an honorable mention honoree.

The five selections to this year's D3football.com All-America Team, mark the most Wheaton players on the website's postseason team in one season in program history. The previous program best was four D3football.com All-Americans in 1999 and in 2016.

D3football.com's recognition of the quintet marks the sixth-consecutive season that the Thunder football team has had at least one selection on the website's All-American Team. Wheaton has produced 37 total D3football.com All-American selections over 16 of the 21 seasons that the website has announced All-American Teams.

McRae (PICTURED RIGHT) was honored as a First Team All-American at defensive tackle. McRae's recognition tonight makes him a unanimous Division III First Team All-American. He was named as a First Team All-American on all three Division III All-American Teams this fall: American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Associated Press and D3football.com. McRae, the 2019 CCIW Defensive Player of the Year, was also named the D3football.com North Region Defensive Player of the Year this fall. The defensive tackle led Division III's top-ranked defense this season with 18.5 tackles for loss (-102 yards), including 8.5 quarterback sacks (-72 yards). He recorded 52 total tackles, including 36 solo stops. McRae registered a team-high eight quarterback hurries, forced one fumble and recovered a fumble.

Hibben (PICTURED LEFT) was named a Third Team All-American at center. Hibben did not allow a sack this season as he anchored a Wheaton offensive line that averaged 483.8 yards per game to rank 10th in Division III in total offense. Wheaton ran for 219.5 rushing yards per game and averaged 262.8 yards per game. Hibben's selection marks the eighth time a Wheaton offensive lineman has earned All-America recognition from D3football.com since 2003. He joins guard James Hoxworth (2003), center Brian Dini (2004); tackle Jesse Scott (2008); tackle Matt Snebold (2015); guard Peter Gibson (2015) and center Kyler Kregel (2016) as offensive linemen that have earned the postseason accolade from the website.

Rowland picked up Third Team All-America recognition at cornerback for the Thunder. Earlier this week he was tabbed as a First Team All-American defensive back by the Associated Press. Rowland led the Thunder and the CCIW with 18 passes defended this year. He broke up a team-high 14 passes in the 2019 season. He tied for Wheaton's team lead in interceptions this season with four picks that he returned for 65 yards. He recorded 36 total tackles, including 29 solos.

Schwartz (PICTURED RIGHT) is a Third Team All-American at linebacker. Schwartz led the Wheaton defense this year with 80 total tackles, including 57 solo stops. The linebacker had six tackles for loss (-25 yards), including one quarterback sack (-8 yards). He had two interceptions, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble. Schwartz's selection marks the fifth season out of the past six that a Wheaton linebacker has earned All-America recognition from D3football.com: Adam Dansdill - Second Team (2014) and First Team (2015); Caleb Ashby - First Team (2016); Eric Stevenson - First Team (2018) and Schwartz.

O'Connell (PICTURED LEFT) was tabbed as an honorable mention selection at defensive end by D3football.com. O'Connell is a four-time All-North Region selection by D3football.com, however, this is his first postseason All-America nod from the website. O'Connell registered 11 tackles for loss this season (-47 yards), including six quarterback sacks (-32 yards). The senior tallied 40 total tackles, including 28 solo hits.