WINONA, Minn. - Following an important win on the road, Winona State University football student-athlete
Darius Manuel has earned the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Defensive Player of the Week following the week ten contest against Upper Iowa University.
In addition, Winona State has cracked the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) weekly poll, coming in at No. 25 this week.
Manuel earned his NSIC nod by dominating the line of scrimmage against Upper Iowa in a 45-7 victory this past Saturday, finishing the contest with two sacks among his three tackles for loss in the game. The Des Moines, Iowa product led Winona State with seven tackles overall, including five solo stops. Manuel's monster day against UIU moved him to 11 career sacks in his time as a Warrior.
As a team, after spending the past few weeks in the 'Receiving Votes' category of the AFCA poll, Winona State's 8-2 record moved them into the top 25. Winona State was last ranked in the AFCA Top 25 in 2018, when WSU rose as high as No. 11 in the AFCA poll.
WSU's opponent this week, Minnesota State, is ranked 23rd, setting up a showdown between two nationally ranked schools on Saturday, Nov. 11. The Warriors and Mavericks will kick off at noon in Blakeslee Stadium in Mankato, Minn. in a highly anticipated matchup between the two teams.
For the most up-to-date news in Warrior Athletics, please visit: www.WINONASTATEWARRIORS.com and @WinonaStateATH.
About Winona State University Athletics:
The Winona State University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, as an integral part of the educational mission of the institution, is committed to offering opportunities to experience academic and athletic excellence for our student-athletes through two simple words: Graduate Champions.
Fourteen Warrior programs compete at the NCAA Division II level within the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). Winona State University competes as an affiliate member of the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) in the sport of women's gymnastics.
