The Wilkes University football team had six players receive honors in a vote by coaches around the league, as Kevin Gerhart, Jordan D’Emilio, Chris Swinarski, Sean Madden, Nick Genuardi and Andrew Yacina were all either voted to All-Freedom Conference teams or Co-Rookie of the Year.
The only first-team All-Conference selection for the Colonels was junior defensive back Kevin Gerhart. Gerhart, who hails from Hummelstown, Pa., led the Colonels as well as the MAC in tackles with 93, 55 of which were solo. He also recorded three interceptions, six break-ups and nine pass deflections.
Jordan D’Emilio received second-team honors at the wide receiver position. Jordan is a junior from Stowe, Pa., and had 49 catches for 562 total receiving yards in the 2009 season. He was fifth in the league with 4.9 receptions per game, and seventh in the MAC with an average of 56.2 receiving yards per contest.
Wilkes had two players on the second-team defensively in Chris Swinarski and Sean Madden. Swinarski, a junior from Old Bridge, N.J., had 34 tackles on the season, including six and a half tackles for 51 yards lost. He had five sacks for 46 yards to go along with two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery which he returned for 97 yards and a touchdown.
Sean Madden made the second-team as a punt and kick returner. Madden is a senior from Dunmore, Pa. who had 274 total return yards on the season with a long of 54. He averaged 21.1 yards per return.
Nick Genuardi, a senior from Sparta, N.J., was honored as the second-team punter in the MAC. Genuardi had 56 punts on the season, averaging 37.9 yards per punt which was second in the MAC, and placing 17 of those kicks inside the 20 yard line.
Wilkes also had the Co-Rookie of the Year in Andrew Yacina. Yacina, a linebacker who come to Wilkes from Bloomsburg, Pa., was seventh on the team in tackles with 45, and had one and a half sacks for the Colonels. He shared the award with John Lavelle from Delaware Valley.
The Colonels challenge Franklin and Marshall on Saturday in the ECAC South Atlantic Bowl.