In his first season as a starter, Ashland University junior tailback Vance Settlemire made some Eagle football history.
Settlemire finished the 2015 season with 19 touchdowns (13 rushing, six receiving) and 114 points – both of which are the best single-season marks in the 94 seasons of Ashland football.
A first-team All-Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference selection, Settlemire scored three touchdowns in the Eagles' 45-28 loss to Grand Valley State on Saturday (Nov. 21) in an NCAA Division II Super Region 4 quarterfinal at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field, and scored 11 touchdowns in the final four games of the season.
Settlemire has 34 touchdowns and 204 points in his Eagle career – the TD total tied for fourth in program history and the point total tied for eighth in Ashland annals. His 13 rushing touchdowns in 2015 are tied for the fourth-best season by an Ashland running back, and his 1,116 rushing yards are the 12th-best total all-time.
UPDATING LISTS, CHECKING THEM TWICE
Sophomore quarterback Travis Tarnowski ranks third in program history with 5,288 career passing yards and 46 career passing touchdowns. Among his 2015 numbers, Tarnowski's 3,121 passing yards are second-best, his 30 touchdown passes are third-best and his 3,248 yards of total offense are tops among AU players since 2008.
Sophomore tight end Adam Shaheen caught 70 passes this season, third-best in program history and the most all-time by an Ashland tight end.
Junior punter-quarterback-backup tight end Austin Bruns set a new program record for best single-season gross punting average (45.6), and is third all-time in career gross punting average (41.1).
Senior tailback Jordan McCune finished his career second all-time in total touchdowns at AU with 39, and fourth all-time in points with 234.
Sophomore kicker Aidan Simenc had 52 extra points (second-most in AU history) and 11 field goals (ninth-most) in 2015, and has 18 career field goals and 74 career extra points, both eighth-most for an Eagle.
Finally, sophomore cornerback Dale Irby's 24.9-yard kickoff return average this fall was the best for an Eagle since 2010.
EAGLE NUGGETS
Ashland's .909 winning percentage this season is the fifth-best in program history…AU's winning percentage in this decade of .738 (48-17) is the best of any decade in program history…The Eagles (16,957) will score their 17,000th all-time point early in the 2016 season.
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