2001 UST Football Season Wrap-up

January 18, 2002
7-3 finish for UST football; 3 chosen Academic All-America

The 2001 St. Thomas football team finished 7-3 overall and 7-2 in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC), good for third place. Coach Don Roney's team averaged 32.7 ppg and 417 ypg on offense and ranked second in the MIAC in total offense and total defense.

St. Thomas was one of two teams -- out of a possible 450 Division II, III and NAIA institutions -- to have three players named to the Verizon College Division Academic All-America team. UST honorees were repeat first-team RB Jake Barkley (JR-Plymouth/Robbinsdale Armstrong, 3.88 Business);
first-team WR Andrew Hilliard (JR-Woodbury, 3.98 Math);
and second-team DT Andy Kaiser (SR-Mora, 3.83 Accounting).

That trio joined seven other Tommies in receiving All-MIAC recognition. Barkley, Kaiser and Hilliard were joined on the All-MIAC first team by QB Nick Ambrasas (JR-St. Paul/Arlington) and DE Sean O'Leary (JR-Wisconsin Rapids, Wis./ Lincoln) on the first team. Five other Toms earned honorable
mention All-MIAC -- LB Rick Joslin (JR-Cambridge/Cambridge-Isanti), TE Jon Learn (SR-Red Wing), FS Matt Meunier (FR-Brooklyn Park/Osseo), OT Logan Kane (JR-Inver Grove Heights/South St. Paul) and OG-Center Justin Wallick (SO-Bloomington/Kennedy).

Kaiser also was among 42 seniors in Division III selected
to play in the Dec. 15 Aztec Bowl vs. the Mexican national team. He also received honorable-mention All-America on the Hewlett-Packard Division III honor team. He started all 40 games in his career and helped the Tommies post a 27-9 MIAC record in his era. He started both on the offensive and defensive line the last six games of 2001. He finished his career with 244 tackles, 17.5 sacks, three pickoffs and three fumble recoveries while scoring four TDs.

Barkley finished fourth nationally in Division III rushing
at 143.8 ypg (nine games, 1,294 yards, 9 TDs). He became the ninth rusher in MIAC history to surpass 3,000 career yards. In 28 career games he has 3,135 rushing yards and 3,674 all-purpose yards.

Hilliard finished 17th nationally in receiving yards per game (108.6). despite missing one game with an injury, he caught 13 TD passes among his 52 receptions for 977 yards.

O'Leary led the MIAC in sacks and finished fourth in Division III with 15 sacks.

Ambrasas completed 53% of his passes (154-of-291) for 2,354 yards, with 26 TDs and just 11 interceptions.

Eight Tommies were honored with individual awards at the Dec. 9 postseason dinner -- Kaiser was honored as the team's Most Valuable Player and the Defense's MVP; Hilliard was recognized as Offense's MVP; Marshall Metli (JR-Grand Junction, Colo.) was named Special Teams MVP; The Jerry Pugsley Award went to Nate Morrisette (SR-Oakdale/Hill-Murray); the Oil Can Man Award for exceptional team play and sacrifice was shared by three seniors -- Johnny Allen (SR-St. Paul /Highland Park), Matt LeFevour (SR-Arlington Heights, Ill/Hersey) and Ty Whitney (SR-Golden Valley/Robbinsdale Armstrong); and WR Brian Brenberg (SR-Wyoming/ Forest Lake)
was a repeat recipient of the Father James Lavin Award for his Christian ideals displayed on and off the field.

Earlier this fall, Brenberg was one of 11 players nationally from Division II, III and NAIA named to the Good Works Team by the American Football Coaches' Association for exceptional community service.