Wheaton, Ill. - Two members of the Wheaton Thunder football team were named CCIW Football Student-Athletes of the Week on Monday, the first week of the 2021 season that the conference has announced the award. Senior linebacker Ryan Schwartz picked up the league's defensive weekly honor and senior punter John Bickle earned the league's special teams award.The CCIW awarded the Student-Athletes of the Week honors this week following the completion of each conference teams' Week 1 games.

Schwartz led Wheaton with seven tackles, including five solo stops in its 56-0 victory against University of Northwestern on September 4. Among those five solo tackles as three three tackles-for-loss (-7 yards). Schwartz, a team captain, helped guide a Thunder defense that held the Eagles to just 113 yards of total offense including just 28 yards on the ground.

Bickle tallied three punts in Wheaton's victory against University of Northwestern. His three punts went for for 132 yards, with a long of 51 yards. His first punt of the season went for 37 yards that pinned the Eagles at their own 10-yard line. His second punt was for 51 yards, while his third punt went for 44 yards and was his second punt of the day inside the 20-yard line.

Fifth-ranked Wheaton returns to action Saturday at 6:00 p.m. as it hosts fourth-ranked North Central College at McCully Stadium.