The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Warhawks

EEach of the past three years, Salem Stadium has been draped in purple from sideline-to-sideline for the NCAA Division III Football National Championship. The palette remains the same for a fourth straight year as the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Mount Union College square off for the 2008 national title at the 36th Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl.

Salem and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play host to the annual gridiron affair for the 16th time on December 20th, preparing to hand out the 53rd NCAA crown bestowed within the city limits. Mount Union has won nine of the 15 pieces of football jewelry earned in Salem. Twice the Purple Raiders have been UW-Whitewater (in 2005 and 2006), but it was the Warhawks that celebrated amidst the fireworks in 2007, relishing in their first D-III football championship.

There are plenty of stories surrounding both teams heading into bowl week. Mount Union head coach, Larry Kehres, goes in search of his 10th national title and 275th career coaching victory. He owns the highest winning percentage (.924) of any football coach at any level in NCAA history, active or not. Across the sidelines, Lance Leipold has made the most of his first two seasons in Whitewater. After taking over the reins from long-time Warhawk mentor, Bob Berezowitz, Leipold led his team to the 2007 national title and stands only one win away from a repeat performance this year.

Entries for both squads can be found in the NCAA football record books, but arguably none more prevalent than those of MUC running back, Nate Kmic. The senior from Delta, Ohio, became the NCAA career rushing leader in all divisions during the Raiders' semifinal win over Wheaton. After his 310-yard day against the Thunder, Kmic has rushed for 7,986 yards, surpassing the previous mark of Danny Woodhead (Chadron State) by 24 yards. In the 2008 postseason alone (four games), Kmic has run for 1,062 yards and 15 touchdowns. The yardage marks a new record in a single NCAA D-III postseason tournament while the 15 TD's tie former Mount Union running back, Dan Pugh, for the scoring record.

Both squads arrive in Salem on Wednesday, December 17, and begin two days of festivities leading up to Saturday's showdown. Kick-off is schedule for 11:06 a.m. and can be watched live on ESPN2. Pam Ward and Ray Bentley have the call from the booth. Live statistics will be available from this website, with several other audio outlets available through their respective schools' websites.

Source: http://www.odaconline.com/staggbowl/08stagg_gameannouncement.htm

Quarterback Greg Micheli, Mount Union College, Alliance, Ohio, has been named winner of the Gagliardi Trophy, awarded each year to honor the outstanding NCAA Division III football player. Micheli emerged from a field of 10 finalists. Sponsored by Jostens and the Saint John's University, Minnesota, J-Club, the Gagliardi Trophy recognizes excellence in athletics, academics and community service.

At 6-3, 203, Micheli completed a 10-0 regular season as the nation's number one passer with a 215.8 rating on 28 touchdowns with only two interceptions. He directed the nation's top offense (551.43 yards/game). In four playoff wins this fall, he completed 60 of 84 passes (71.4% completion percentage) for six touchdowns and no interceptions. The academic All-American, with a 3.84 GPA in physics and math, was recently named recipient of an $18,000 post-graduate scholarship from the National Football Foundation/College Football Hall of Fame. Micheli is a member of the MUC Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and volunteers in an elementary school program. He is a native of Upper Sandusky, Ohio.

The award will be presented on Thursday evening, December 18, in Salem, Va., as part of the festivities leading up to the Division III Stagg Bowl national championship game played in Salem on Saturday, December 20. Micheli and his MUC teammates will face national defending champion University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the Stagg Bowl; it will be the fourth consecutive year the two teams faced each other for the national title with Mount Union winning in 2005 and 2006 when Micheli was named game MVP. Gagliardi Trophy selection was made by a national committee comprised of coaches, sports writers, community leaders and former Division III student-athletes enshrined in the National Collegiate Football Hall of Fame. In addition, football fans voted to rank the 10 finalists and cast an electronic ballot that was collectively added to the 35 votes of the national selection committee; Micheli won the fan vote.

The trophy is named for Saint John's University head football coach John Gagliardi, the first active head coach to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (Class of 2006). The winningest coach in college football history with a record of 461-125-11 (.781), Gagliardi's teams have won four national championships (1963, 1965, 1976 and 2003).

The Gagliardi Trophy was launched by Jostens and the J-Club in 1993. Micheli is the fifth Mount Union student-athlete to receive the award. Senior quarterback Jim Ballard won the inaugural Gagliardi with senior quarterback Bill Borchert winning in 1997, senior running back Chuck Moore in 2001 and senior running back Dan Pugh in '02.