FREELAND, Mich. -- Seven Trine football players combined to earn eight recognitions on the All-MIAA Football Team, the conference announced today.

All-MIAA First Team honorees included Jeffery Barnett (Fremont, Ohio / Fremont-Ross), who earned recognition at wide receiver and as a return specialist, offensive lineman Derek Scott (Niles, Mich. / Niles) and cornerback Marcus Winters (Toledo, Ohio / Central Catholic). All-MIAA Second Team honorees were made up of offensive lineman Mitchell Watts (Goshen, Ind. / Goshen), defensive lineman Me'Leick Miles (Indianapolis, Ind. / Pike) and linebacker Taylor James (LaPorte, Ind. / LaPorte). Senior Zachary Denig (Adrian, Mich. / Madison) was named the recipient of the Pete Schmidt Memorial Scholar-Athlete Award.

Barnett earned First Team honors for the first time in his career. He finished third in the conference and 39th in the nation with 937 receiving yards, the fourth-most in a season in team history. The sophomore also totaled eight touchdowns on his 59 receptions. Barnett was named a finalist for HERO Sports' "HERO of the Week" Award after his school record-tying 244-yard performance against Alma.

Barnett also received recognition as the First Team return specialist. This is the second time he has earned all-conference honors for his work on special teams. Barnett led the MIAA with an average of 24 yards per kick return. He totaled 529 return yards overall. Barnett's racked up 1,423 all-purpose yards this season, the fifth-most in program history.

Scott followed up on his All-MIAA Second Team campaign from last year with the first First Team honors of his career. The senior anchored the interior of an offensive line that produced 243.2 yards per game on the ground, a program record. Scott spent time at both guard and center over the course of his two all-conference seasons.

Winters tied a school-record with eight interceptions on his way to earning All-MIAA First Team honors for the first time. Winters was not only the top ballhawk in the MIAA, but one of the best in the nation. He ranked second in the nation in INTs and third in passes defended (19). The sophomore is already tied for third in program history with 12 career picks. He has earned all-conference honors in each of his first two collegiate seasons.

Watts earned the first all-conference nod of his career. The junior spent time at tackle this season, helping produce the 23rd-best rushing attack in the nation. Watts also played a key role in a Trine pass protection that ranked among the best in NCAA Division III. The Thunder allowed an average of just one sack per game, the lowest rate in the MIAA and 22nd-lowest rate in the country.

Miles was recognized on the All-MIAA Second Team for the second straight season. The junior finished sixth in the conference with 79 tackles. His 6.5 sacks tied for sixth-most in the league, while his 16 tackles-for-loss ranked fourth. Miles also blocked two kicks, one of which was a punt he returned for a touchdown at Aurora. He was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week and earned MIAA Defensive Player of the Week honors after totaling nine tackles and three sacks in a victory over Albion.

James rounded out his career having earned All-MIAA honors in each of his three seasons as a member of the Thunder football program. The senior team captain finished 11th in the conference with 75 tackles, while his rate of 8.3 tackles per game ranked seventh in the MIAA. James notched his first career interception in a victory over Albion and notched six tackles-for-loss on the season. He concluded his career with 228 career tackles, 12th in team history. His accolades also included an All-MIAA First Team honor last year and a second team recognition in 2014.

Denig became Trine's fourth all-time winner of the conference's highest scholar-athlete honor for football. The senior overcame cancer to continue competing for the Thunder football team and excel in the classroom. A criminal justice major, he earned recognition on the MIAA Academic Honor Roll for achieving at least a 3.5 GPA and lettering in a varsity sport. Denig totaled eight tackles this season. Six of those tackles came in a 31-13 victory over Adrian, which helped the Thunder reclaim the Black and Blue Border Brawl trophy for the first time since 2010. 

The Pete Schmidt Memorial Scholar-Athlete honors the legacy of Pete Schmidt for his dedication to and love of MIAA football. Schmidt was a graduate of Alma College, where he competed in football and baseball. After a successful high school coaching career, he became head coach at Albion College, leading the Britons to nine championships in 14 seasons and an NCAA Division III national championship in 1994. He died of cancer in 2000.

Denig joins Mario Brown (2012), Jeremy Howard (2010) and Adam Garvin (2006) as members of the Thunder football program who have been honored with the Pete Schmidt Memorial Scholar-Athlete award.

Trine concluded the season 6-4 overall for the third-straight season. The team placed fourth in the MIAA with a 3-3 record in conference play.