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The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) landed four Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA) All-America honorees, including Ashland's Dominic Giunta and Ferris State's Zach Sieler who both were selected to the First Team, while Ashland QB Travis Tarnowski and Ferris State CB Tavierre Thomas collected Second Team accolades.
| 2017 D2CCA Football All-America Honorees | ||||
| First Team - Offense | ||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| OL | Dominic Giunta | Ashland | Sr. | Willoughby, Ohio |
| First Team - Defense | ||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| DL | Zach Sieler | Ferris State | Jr. | Pinckney, Mich. |
| Second Team - Offense | ||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| QB | Travis Tarnowski | Ashland | Sr. | Broadview Heights, Ohio |
| Second Team - Defense | ||||
| Pos. | Name | School | Yr. | Hometown |
| CB | Tavierre Thomas | Ferris State | Sr. | Detroit, Mich. |
Giunta was the anchor of an Eagle offensive line which allowed Ashland to average 33.4 points and 407.8 yards of offense per game in 2017. Earlier this offseason, Giunta, a three-year starter, also garnered D2CCA Super Region 3 first team, GLIAC Lineman of the Year and first-team All-GLIAC honors.
Sieler won the GLIAC Defensive Lineman of the Year for the second-straight year. Sieler led the Bulldogs to the D2 Super Region final for the second consecutive year. He ranked 10th in the nation in tackles for loss and in the top five among active Division II players in sacks and tackles for loss. Sieler set the school single-season records for tackles for loss and sacks in 2016.
Tarnowski threw for 3,044 yards and 31 touchdowns to just five interceptions in 2017, and completed 59 percent of his passes. He threw for two or more touchdowns in a game 10 times this fall, rushed for 156 yards and a score, and averaged 36.9 yards on 36 punts. Tarnowski led an offense which helped the Eagles to a GLIAC championship, the second round of the NCAA Division II playoffs and an 11-2 overall record.
Thomas ranked among the league and national leaders with 18 total pass breakups and four interceptions while garnering the GLIAC Defensive Back of the Year honor. The two-time first team All-GLIAC selection finished right behind Sieler on the squad with 60 total stops and added two tackles for loss while starting all 13 games in his final season as a Bulldog.
The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.
