By Tommy McGowan, UWEC Sports Information
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. (blugolds.com) - The 2019 All-Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Football Team has been announced, with a pair of Blugolds taking home First Team honors.
That pair was linebackers Sam Romanski (Sr.-Wausau, WI/East) and Victor Martinelli (Jr.-Milton, WI). This is Romanski's second consecutive season on the All-WIAC team, after leading the conference in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (19.5). He also finished eighth in the league in total tackles, with 74. Romanski was especially effective in Eau Claire's upset of St. Thomas (Minn.), with two sacks and ten tackles.
Martinelli was also pivotal to the Blugold defense all season long, totaling 68 tackles on the year. He tied for second in the conference in tackles for loss with 13.5, while also recording seven sacks. Additionally, Martinelli was terrific on special teams, blocking a total of five punts and field goals. Those numbers were all career highs for the junior.
Five other Blugolds took home honors as well, with Drew Shrader (Jr.-Hartland, WI/Arrowhead) & Austin Belot (Jr.-Neenah, WI) on the Second Team, while Ben Peterson (Sr.-New Richmond, WI) & Jared Churak (Jr.-Huntley, IL/Marian Central) were Honorable Mentions. Ben Laube (Sr.-Eau Claire, WI/Memorial) was also placed on the All-Sportsmanship team.
Shrader, a 2019 captain, opened running lanes for Belot all season. Belot battled through injuries to lead the WIAC in rushing, with 958 yards. He topped 100 yards on six separate occasions, including a career day on UWEC's Homecoming, finishing with 223 yards and two scores.
Peterson was another fixture on the Blugold offensive line, while Churak was a leader in the secondary. Churak finished the year with 54 total tackles and added four turnovers, two of them interceptions.
The Blugolds finished 2019 3-7 overall and 1-6 in the WIAC. Follow the Blugolds on Blugold Game Day or on the 'UWEC Blugolds' app from your mobile device.
