KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three members of the University of Nebraska at Omaha football team earned first team honors in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association's annual all-league selections. The picks were made by the MIAA's coaches. In addition, four more Mavericks were named to the second team and five received honorable mention.

 

Offensive lineman Jake Sjuts (SOOTS), kicker Greg Zuerlein (ZOO-ur-line) and linebacker Jeff Souder (SOW-der) all made the first team. Sjuts, a native of Columbus, Neb., has been a starter for three seasons. He's helped the Mavericks to the third best rushing average in the nation. A native of Lincoln, Neb., Zuerlein is UNO's third leading scorer with 67 points. He's made 9 of 11 field goals and 40 of 42 PATs. He owns the school record for most consecutive PATs at 61. Souder, a native of Bellevue, Neb., is UNO's leading tackler with 68 including 35 solo tackles. He also has 2.5 sacks.

 

The Mavericks two most prolific offensive players were chosen for the second team. Senior quarterback Zach Miller of Weston, Neb. leads UNO with 18 rushing touchdowns. He's also passed for nine TDs. In the first ten games of the season, he has rushed and passed for 1,000 yards, the first time he's done so in his career. He's a three-time MIAA offensive player of the week. Senior tailback Brian McNeill led the Mavericks in rushing for the second straight season. The native of Philadelphia, Penn. has run for 1,341 yards and 11 touchdowns. It's his second straight season with more than 1,000 rushing yards. He was named an MIAA offensive player of the week earlier this season. Junior defensive lineman Zac Keller of Kearney, Neb. also represents the Mavs on the second team. He ranks seventh on the team with 37 tackles including 10 solos.

 

Those Mavericks earning Honorable Mention include senior wide receiver Troy Kush (Gretna, Neb.) and sophomore tight end Mike Higgins (Pickrell, Neb.) on offense and senior linebacker Jacob Chandler (Ralston, Neb.), senior linebacker Jacob Skow (Arlington, Texas) and senior defensive back Reed Taylor (Oshkosh, Wis.) on defense.

 

The Mavericks will face the Pittsburg State Gorillas on Saturday, Nov. 15 in the first round of the NCAA Division II Football Championship. Kick-off is 12 p.m. from Carnie Smith Stadium in Pittsburg, Kan. Tickets for the game are on sale through the UNO ticket office located in the Sapp Fieldhouse. The ticket office is open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. with extended hours on Wednesday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tickets are $10.