ANGOLA, IND. -- Seniors Lamar Carswell (Toledo, Ohio/St. Francis de Sales), Marcus Winters (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) and Jeffery Barnett (Fremont, Ohio/Ross) were all selected third-team All-American by D3football.com for their individual efforts this past season.
[2018 D3football.com All-American Teams]
All three players helped lead Trine to back-to-back undefeated regular seasons and outright Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Championships. The Thunder also made a second straight appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament and fifth overall since joining the NCAA.
Carswell led the nation in rushing with 2,294 yards. His rushing total this season was a school single-season record and the MIAA Offensive "Most Valuable Player" also set single-season marks in rushing TDs (32), yards per game (208.5), all-purpose yards (2,319), all-purpose yards per game (210.8), total points scored (204) and total touchdowns scored (34; 32 rushing & two receiving). He finished second nationally in rushing yards per game (208.5), rushing TD (32) and scoring (18.5 points per game). Carswell also set a Trine and MIAA single-game record in rushing yards with his 359-yard performance against Kalamazoo (Mich.) College in the regular-season finale.
In all, Carswell ended his career with a combined 26 Trine career, season, single game and conference records that include being the program's all-time leader in rushing (5,364 yards), rushing TDs (74), rushing yards per game (137.5) and yards per rush (7.7).
Winters was named the MIAA Defensive "Player of the Year" for the second straight season in 2018, was part of a defense that ranked 11th in NCAA Division III in passing yards allowed per game at 147.5. Individually, Winters ended his senior campaign with 33 total tackles (24 solo and nine assists) and had three interceptions to go along with a blocked kick that came on an extra point attempt. Winters also etched his name in the Trine record books as the program's all-time leader in interceptions with 21 for his career.
Winters was also a threat on special teams as a punt returner with two punt returns for touchdowns and averaged 23.4 yards per return. He ends his career with three program all-time marks in punt return yardage with 622, return average (18.85 yards per return) and returns for TD with four
Barnett was named third-team All-American as an all-purpose player for his standout season returning kicks. Barnett was one of the top kickoff return threats in the nation who averaged 39.0 yards per return which ranks second highest among Division III schools. He also set Trine single-season records with three returns for touchdowns and kick return average (39.0). His three kickoff returns for TD ranked as most recorded this season in the nation. In only 15 attempts, he racked up 585 yards which rank as the fourth highest in program history. In his career as a kick returner, Barnett holds the school record for kick returns for TD (five), return average (28.96) and ranks second all-time in number of return attempts (75) and total yards (2,172).
In addition to his role as a kick returner, Barnett was the top target for Trine quarterbacks with a team-high 35 receptions for 719 yards and four touchdowns this past fall. He averaged 20.5 yards per catch, which led the conference. Barnett posted two games of 100 or more receiving yards during his final season, highlighted by a season-high 147 yards against Olivet (Mich.) College. Also during the season, Barnett became the Trine all-time leader in receiving yards and ended his career with 2,907. In addition, he finished second all-time in receiving TDs with 22.