Watanabe Garners Great Midwest, Fred Mitchell Weekly Accolades

When you make history, you get recognized for it.
 
Such is the case for Ashland University redshirt freshman kicker Manaki Watanabe, who has been named both the latest Great Midwest Athletic Conference football special teams Athlete of the Week and the NCAA Division II Fred Mitchell Award weekly honoree.
 
In the Eagles' 23-16 win over Walsh on Saturday (Nov. 1) afternoon at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field, Watanabe snuck a school-record 59-yard field goal in as the second quarter expired for a 13-10 halftime advantage. The field goal broke the school record by seven yards (52 yards by Gary Kester in 1969).
 
That was part of a game in which Watanabe made all three field goals (also from 39 and 19 yards) for the second consecutive week, and both extra-point tries. He is NCAA Division II's leader in field-goal percentage this season, having made 14-of-15 attempts.
 
The Fred Mitchell Award is given weekly, and then at the end of the season, to the top collegiate kicker in FCS, Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA.
 
With seven consecutive wins, the No. 15 Eagles are 8-1 overall and 7-0 in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference – tied with No. 9 Findlay (9-0, 7-0), Ashland's opponent on Saturday (Nov. 8) at 1 p.m. at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field. The game will be Ashland's Military and First Responder Appreciation Day and reunion for the 2015 team.
  SEPT. 8 – Ravin Morgan (volleyball), Michael Shimek (football), Nate Slater (men's cross country), Tom Woodward (men's soccer). 
SEPT. 15 – none
SEPT. 22 – Dani Hicks (women's soccer), Mark Pillar (men's golf). 
SEPT. 29 – Cameron Blair (football), Damien Johnson Jr. (football).
OCT. 6 – none
OCT. 14 – Jaden Cook (football), Joey Lenczyk (men's swimming and diving), Yasmim Tomita (women's swimming and diving).
OCT. 20 – Emily Pate (women's soccer), Manaki Watanabe (football).
OCT. 27 – Jaya Daniel (women's soccer).
NOV. 3 – Manaki Watanabe (football).