WINONA, Minn. – Following an outstanding 2022 Winona State University football regular season, ten Warriors have been tabbed as All-Conference athletes by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.
Winona State had the most NSIC South Division All-Conference First Team selections, with Carter Duxbury, Darius Manuel, Clay Schueffner and Mitch Snitker all earning First Team status. In addition, Aarion Lacy was named to the NSIC Second Team on defense following a stellar season.
WSU had three NSIC South Division All-Conference First Team Offense, with Payton Dachel, Jaylen Schleicher and Darryl Williams all garnering a spot on the top team. Ty Gavin earned a spot on the NSIC South Division All-Conference Second Team as well.
On special teams, Winona State punter Tristan Root was a First Team selection in the NSIC South Division All-Conference specialist list.
Payton Dachel, an offensive lineman from Bloomer, Wisconsin, anchored a Winona State line that helped the Warriors rack up 1,666 rushing yards as a team. Dachel was named the 2022 WSU Preseason Player-to-Watch by the NSIC in the preseason coach's poll.
Jaylen Schleicher, a tight end from Hammond, Indiana, was a clutch receiver for WSU. The 6'6'' Schleicher racked up three touchdown catches among his 18 receptions this past fall. Schleicher had 222 total receiving yards and a longest catch of 26 yards.
Darryl Williams, a wide receiver from Chetek, Wisconsin, earned first team status after a season in which he led Winona State in total receiving yards (445), longest single reception (44), and average receiving yards per game (40.45). Williams also had the most catches in the WSU receiving corps, hauling in 30 passes, a mark placing him in the NSIC Top-20 for the year.
Ty Gavin, a running back from Niles, Illinois, was a key component of the Winona State ground game, earning the sixth-best total yards mark in the NSIC (766) and seventh-best league number in average yards per carry (5.6 ypg). Gavin had four touchdown runs on the year and had three of the top single-game totals, running for 167 yards against Wayne State, 159 versus Minot State and 149 yards against UMary.
Carter Duxbury, a 2021 AP All-American selection from Chatfield, Minnesota, continued his standout career in fine fashion in 2022, collecting six sacks among his 8.5 tackles for loss on the season. Duxbury registered 31 total tackles and had 14 solo stops; he also forced two fumbles and three QB hurries during the regular season.
Darius Manuel was a force on the WSU defensive line, where the Des Moines, Iowa product registered a team-leading 11 tackles for loss, racking up 45 TFL yards in the process. Manuel had 19 solo stops and 31 total tackles on the year, along with two QB hurries and a fumble recovery.
Clay Schueffner, a senior from St. Cloud, Wisconsin, tied for the most tackles across the NSIC with 103 total stops, averaging 9.4 tackles per game. Schueffner also had two interceptions, including a pick-six 23-yard return against Minnesota State Moorhead. Schueffner had the 18th-best solo tackle tally (59) in NCAA Division II football ranks.
Mitch Snitker, a defensive back from Waukon, Iowa, makes his second career appearance on the NSIC All-Conference list, having earned NSIC Second Team status last year. In 2022, Snitker finished 13th in the NSIC in total tackles (70) and was eighth in the league in solo stops with 52.
Aarion Lacy, a Park Forest, Illinois, product, earned NSIC All-Conference Second Team honors following a year in which he registered 31 total tackles and had 25 solo stops. Lacy had an interception against Northern State and also scored a touchdown on a punt return against Southwest Minnesota State.
Earning a spot on the NSIC South Division First Team Special Teams was Tristan Root, a punter from Eau Claire, Wisconsin who also saw significant time in the Warrior secondary. Root accumulated 2,222 total yards on 58 punts, good for a 38.31 average. Root's single best effort was a 68-yard kick and he had ten punts of 50 yards or more on the season.
After earning a share of the 2022 NSIC South Division title, Winona State football earned a bid to the 2022 NCAA Division II Football postseason. Winona State will play at Bemidji State on Saturday, Nov. 19 in an NCAA Division II first round matchup. The Warriors and Beavers will kick off at 1 p.m. in Chet Anderson Stadium in Bemidji.
