Release courtesy of the Ashland University Sports Information Department
ASHLAND, Ohio - Ashland University senior kicker-punter Gregg Berkshire (Ashland, Ohio) is one of 10 finalists for the 2011 Fred Mitchell Award. This is the second consecutive year Berkshire has been a finalist for this trophy.
The Mitchell award is presented to the top place kicker in the country for the Football Championship Subdivision, Division II, Division III, NAIA and NJCAA. The award is based on performance on the field and community service.
This year, 44 kickers were nominated for the award. The breakdown of the finalists is four FCS kickers, four from Division III and one from the NAIA level. Berkshire is the lone NCAA Division II kicker left in the field. The name of the award recipient will be announced Dec. 15. The award winner will be honored on Feb. 20, 2012, at the National Football Foundation Chicago Chapter Awards ceremony at Halas Hall.
Berskhire owns school career records for extra points (155), field goals (56) and points (323). He shares the school single-season record for field goals (16). Berskhire is the only player in school history to kick 16 field goals in a season three times. He also holds the school single season record for yards per punt (43.5, 2010).
This year, Berkshire averaged 42.7 ypp. He connected on 16-of-28 field goal tries (57.1 percent) with a long of 47 yards. Berkshire had seven field goals of 40 yards or longer. He was 37-of-38 on extra points.
In 2011 Berkshire led the GLIAC in kick scoring, field goals per game, extra point percentage and punting. Berkshire was named to the GLIAC first team as a punter and was a second team selection as a kicker. Six times in his career Berkshire was named the GLIAC special teams player of the week. He owns the GLIAC record for career field goals.
Berkshire was cited as the d2football.com national special teams player of the week twice in his career. The last time that happened came this year against nationally-ranked Wayne State when Berkshire kicked a 43-yard field goal on the final play of the game to send the Eagles past the Warriors, 20-17.
Last summer, Berkshire was the kicker on the United States team that won the gold medal at the International Federation of American Football Senior World Championships.
Berkshire has been a guest speaker at several Sunday School classes in the Ashland area. He has also spoken to Ashland Middle School students about the importance of goal setting and filmed a television spot for the Ashland County United Way to promote the United Drive campaign to collect canned goods from local residents.
In addition to Berkshire, the other nine finalists for the award are Zach Brown (Portland State –FCS), Allen Cain (Texas Lutheran – Division III), Jacob Gahart (Ripon – Division III), Brad Greenway (Cornell – FCS), Billy Janssen (Drake – FCS), Josh Kay (Linfield – Division III), Tom Lynch (Saint Xavier – NAIA), Scott Roche (Wheaton – NCAA Division III) and Tyler Sievertsen (Northern Iowa – FCS).