Six Owls earn spots on Academic All-District Team

GAMBIER, Ohio — The College Sports Communicators (CSC) announced Tuesday that six members of the 2024 Kenyon College Owls roster were named to the organization’s Academic All-District Football Team. The honorees included James Bernier, Dylan Carlquist, Will Ehrlich, Jared Hancock, Trey Rutherford, and Dominic Simpson.

For Carlquist, Ehrlich, and Hancock, the award was their second in as many seasons. Kenyon’s three other honorees were all first-time recipients.

To be eligible for the honor, a student-athlete had to be a key contributor who participated in at least 90 percent of the team’s competitions or started 66 percent of those competitions. The student-athlete had to be on the team’s active roster for at least two years and, most importantly, had to possess at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average.

Ehrlich and Hancock, both linebackers, joined Simpson, a safety, on a Kenyon defense that was one of the best in recent program history. As a unit, the Owls allowed 2,855 total yards to opponents. That total was the best since the 1986 season, when the team yielded 2,807 yards. Additionally, the 2024 Owls gave up the least amount of passing yards (1,850) since the 2000 team allowed 1,804.

Simpson, a sophomore, emerged as a force among all Kenyon defenders. He led the team with 82 tackles. He had four pass break-ups, had one interception and was named a 2024 All-North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Second Team selection.

Hancock was also a 2024 All-NCAC pick, as a member of the Third Team. The junior ranked second on the team with 52 tackles. Eight of his tackles went down for losses and one was a sack. He also forced two fumbles. Playing the same position, Ehrlich, also a junior, was a back-up linebacker who participated in nine games and made five tackles.

On the offensive side of the ball, Carlquist put up some impressive numbers from his wide receiver position. The junior snared 31 passes for a team-high 361 yards and two touchdowns.

Bernier, a sophomore tight end, played in nine games and made four catches for 25 yards. He and Rutherford were counted on for blocking along the line. Rutherford, who manned the left tackle spot also played in nine games. A sophomore, he helped clear the way for the team to an average of 227.8 yards per game.

Carlquist earned the CSC academic award as a double major in psychology and economics. Ehrlich is a physics major and Hancock is studying chemistry. At the time of their nominations, Bernier, Rutherford and Simpson had not declared a major.

The six honorees helped lift Kenyon to a 5-5 overall record, including a 4-4 fifth-place NCAC record. Those records were the program’s best over the last dozen seasons.