UD Top-10: No. 4 Snitker Claims IIAC Defensive MVP
Jul 25, 2016
UD Top-10: No. 4 Snitker Collects IIAC Defensive MVP and Captains League’s Best Defense
DUBUQUE, Iowa – After pioneering the Iowa Conference’s number one scoring and total defense en route to the Iowa Conference title, senior linebacker Blaine Snitker was also named First-Team All-IIAC for the third time, national finalist for Cliff Harris Award, and semifinalist for William V. Campbell Award.
Despite sitting out the first three games of the season, Snitker debuted with a bang in collecting a career-high 21 tackles against Luther in UD’s IIAC opener and earning IIAC Male Athlete of the Week. The Waukon, Iowa native’s picked up 54 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss in leading a Spartan defense that held five IIAC opponents under 16 points each and finished undefeated in the IIAC for the first time since 1979.
A First-Team All-West Region selection, Snitker was the first UD defensive player to be named a William V. Campbell finalist given to the nation’s top scholar-athlete, regardless of division, and a Cliff Harris award finalist for the nation’s top small college defensive player.
The senior embodied the meaning of student-athlete after totaling 283 tackles (sixth all-time in UD history), accumulating three-time All-IIAC academic selections, a CoSIDA Academic All-District award, and volunteering at numerous sites around Dubuque.
Stat Check
50 – Snitker is the second defensive player in UD history (fifth overall) to earn three First-Team All-IIAC honors and the first in 50 years.
Rest of Top-10
No. 5 - Gonzalo Hernandez named first IIAC MVP in school history
No. 6 - Klaudia Basierak cements UD legacy as only four-time All-IIAC volleyball selection
No. 7 - Cameron Shere's stellar final round leads to first career All-IIAC men's golf honor
No. 8 - Tanasha Atwater concludes record-setting 2016 with All-American track and field finish
No. 9 - Stoltz Magic comes alive thanks to record-setting renovation
No. 10 - Alec Bass sets 5 school records and becomes first All-IIAC XC runner in 15 years
Honorable Mentions
-Baseball First IIAC Tournament since 2005
-Men's Soccer Reaches First IIAC Tournament Title Game
-Women's Lacrose sets program single season wins record
-Arantxa Martinez claims women's tennis' IIAC Flight A Singles Runner-Up for second time
-Wrestling breaks duals single season wins record and brings on former Olympic gold medalist
