WINONA, Minn. – Following the 2023 Winona State University football regular season, eight Warriors have been tabbed as All-Conference athletes by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
Winona State had one First Team selection and seven Second Team players tabbed, with Clay Schueffner repeating as a NSIC All-Conference First Team Defense selection. Other defensive selections for Winona State included Trey Borske, Kyjuan Vengrowsky, Darius Manuel and Enrique De Leon, all named to the NSIC All-Conference Second Team. On the offensive side of the ball, WSU had three Warriors earn honors; Sylvere Campbell, Noah Pappas and Kaleb Skelly.
Clay Schueffner, a linebacker from St. Cloud, Wis., left an indelible mark on the NSIC record book, completing his Warrior career with 361 total tackles and 208 solo stops. In 11 games played during the 2023 campaign, the St. Cloud, Wis. native racked up 85 total tackles, notched three sacks and had 53 solo stops. Within NSIC play, Schueffner had 43 solo tackles and 71 total stops. All of Schueffner's sacks came in NSIC contests.
Kyjuan Vengrowsky, a defensive lineman from De Pere, Wis., appeared in all 11 Warrior contests and ranked sixth on the squad in total tackles with 34. Vengrowsky had 5.5 sacks, second-most by any Warrior this season. The All-NSIC nod was the first appearance on an All-Conference team for the two-time WSU Presidential Scholar student-athlete.
Darius Manuel, a defensive lineman from Des Moines, Iowa, repeats as an All-NSIC defensive selection, having been tabbed to 2022 All-NSIC First Team Defense last season. Manuel tallied 22 tackles and had 7.5 tackles for loss on the year, including two sacks.
Enrique De Leon, a defensive lineman from Chippewa Falls, Wis., was impactful for Winona State, helping to establish one of the top defensive fronts in the league. De Leon had two multi-sack games for Winona State in 2023, racking up a pair of sacks against the University of Sioux Falls on Oct. 21 and two more versus Minot State on Nov. 11.
Trey Borske, a junior from Naperville, Ill., appeared in all 11 contests for Winona State, and was a key part of a WSU defense that was tied for second in the NSIC in total sacks (32) and was second overall in sack yards (184). Borske led the team in tackles (9) against nationally-ranked Augustana University and twice racked up seven stops in a game, earned against Saginaw Valley State and Bemidji State, respectively.
Sylvere Campbell, a wide receiver from Milwaukee, Wis., is a transfer from NCAA Division III Carthage College who had an immediate impact on the Winona State program. Campbell collected the most receiving yards of any WSU receiver (629) and had the highest per-catch average as well (19.06). The 6'2" Campbell also led Winona State in touchdown grabs with six.
Kaleb Skelly, a wide receiver from Blaine, Minn., was a frequently featured receiver in the WSU offense, hauling in a team-best 45 receptions on the year. Skelly, a transfer from Northern State, was a key part of the program in 2023, hauling in the second-most touchdowns (4) on the year and racking up 571 receiving yards in the campaign.
Noah Pappas, an offensive lineman from Plymouth, Minn., was a catalyst for the Warrior offensive line this season. The 6'6" Pappas anchored an offensive line that racked up 108 passing first downs and saw WSU average over 230 yards-per-game in the air.
Winona State finished at .500 in the 2023 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) campaign, going 5-5 in league play and completing the season at 5-6 overall. WSU was seventh in the NSIC as a team. Winona State was 3-2 at home in Altra Federal Credit Union Stadium and faced off with four nationally ranked opponents over the course of the season.
