MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- A pair of Trine University football student athletes have received All-Region honors from D3football.com. Junior Kyle Naif (Riverview, Mich. / Riverview) was named to the second team defense as a linebacker while senior Ryan Hibbets (Monticello, Ind. / Twin Lakes) was named to third team defense as a place kicker.
The Thunder were joined by three other Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) institutions in placing ten student-athletes on the lists.
Naif, who received his second straight first team All-MIAA award earlier this season, helped anchor the center of the Trine defense as a linebacker. He finished the season with 77 tackles leading the team and tied for seventh in the MIAA during conference play with 41 tackles. He also led the team with five and a half sacks in the season, while coming in fifth during MIAA season with four. He finished the season with nine and a half tackles for a loss. He forced one fumble and came recovered another which he returned for a defensive touchdown. He also made his mark on special teams with a pair of punt blocks.
Hibbetts earns the third team status just off his second straight appearance as the first team All-MIAA kicker. This season he finished 9-12 on field goal attempts and 33-36 on point after attempts. His long for the season was a 46-yard field goal happening twice, once against Manchester and once against Kalamazoo. His long was tied for longest during MIAA play and he finished second with 37 points.