RELEASED:  Tuesday, October 13, 2009

UW-Whitewater’s Schebler Among Mitchell Award Finalists

WHITEWATER, Wis.--Univesity of Wisconsin-Whitewater placekicker Jeff Schebler has been selected for recognition for the Fred Mitchell Award for the month of September.  The award, new this year, will go to the top placekicker among all NCAA Division II and Division III teams.

Schebler, who was among 18 kickers on the committee's "watch list" in August, is among 13 players honored in September.

The award is named for Fred Mitchell, who was a placekicker for Wittenberg University (Ohio).  Mitchell was an author, Chicago Tribune sports columnist and philanthropist.  The award winner will be chosen based on excellence on the field and in the community.  The school of the award winner will receive scholarship funds.

The Fred Mitchell Award committee will recognize players for September, October and November, with the national award winner announced in mid-December.  The selection committee includes nine members of the Pro or College Football Hall of Fame.

Schebler, a senior from Davenport, Iowa, recently broke the UW-Whitewater and Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) career scoring (not just kick scoring) records.  He has totaled 374 points in three-plus seasons, just nine short of the NCAA Division III career kick scoring record of 383.  The all-division kick scoring record is 433 points.

Schebler has helped UW-Whitewater win WIAC titles each of his first three years.  The Warhawks have also advanced to the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, the NCAA Division III championship game, his first three seasons, including a national title in 2007.  Schebler has been an All-American all three years as well as an All-WIAC first team selection.