Shimek, Traczyk Highlight Eagle Great Midwest Football Awardees

Senior defensive end Michael Shimek and sophomore right tackle Nico Traczyk pace 13 Ashland University football players who have been honored by the Great Midwest Athletic Conference, as the league's football postseason awards were revealed on Tuesday (Nov. 25) afternoon.
 
Shimek is the Great Midwest Player of the Year, while Traczyk was voted as the circuit's Offensive Lineman of the Year.
 
Turning in one of the top defensive seasons in program history in 2025, Shimek has recorded a nation-leading 17½ sacks, 18½ tackles for loss, 55 total tackles (31 solo), three forced fumbles and two blocked kicks. Only one other player in Ashland football history has had more sacks in a season (College Football Hall of Famer Bill Royce, 20½, 20 and 18½), and the tackles for loss number is second-most in school history.
 
Traczyk has led an Eagle offensive line which has AU averaging 27.7 points and 339.8 yards per game, and allowed Ashland to score at least 30 points on six occasions.
 
Both Shimek and Traczyk are two of seven Ashland conference first-teamers, along with:

• Redshirt freshman kicker Manaki Watanabe – the most accurate kicker in NCAA Division II on field goals (20-for-21, 95.2 percent), and also the D-II leader and school record-holder for total field goals.
• Redshirt senior offensive linemen Ethan Enders (center) and Nick Walker (left tackle) – both four-time All-Great Midwest selections.
• Sophomore linebacker Jack Talkington – team-leading 88 total tackles (40 solo), three sacks, eight tackles for loss, one interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
• Sophomore defensive end Elisha Baldridge – 84 total tackles (34 solo), 12½ sacks, 14½ tackles for loss and two forced fumbles.

Six Ashland players were recognized as all-conference second-teamers:

• Freshman wide receiver D.J. Harvey - Ashland's leading receiver with 44 catches for 462 yards and two touchdowns.
• Junior linebacker Ben Holzopfel - collected 45 total tackles (19 solo), one sack and 2½ tackles for loss despite missing three games due to injury.
• Senior cornerback Jalon Jackson – one interception, 31 total tackles (21 solo) and a half-tackle for loss.
• Junior tailback Ty'aris Stevenson – rushed for 393 yards and six touchdowns on 91 carries.
• Junior safety E.J. Teah – team-high-tying three interceptions, 56 total tackles (28 solo), one tackle for loss and a fumble recovery.
• Senior safety Izzy Vasquez – also a team-high-tying three interceptions, 53 total tackles (25 solo), and three tackles for loss.

The No. 18-ranked Eagles (10-2), the co-Great Midwest champions, will go to No. 1 Ferris State (12-0) for an NCAA second-round playoff game at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Nov. 29).
  Michael Shimek, 2025
Michael Ayers, 2022
  Nico Traczyk, 2025