Gingery and Holmes Named D3football.com All-Americans

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SPRINGFIELD, Ohio—Wittenberg football seniors Will Gingery and Dustin Holmes were named D3football.com All-Americans during the pre-game festivities of the Stagg Bowl on Friday night.

Gingery was named a first-team AFCA All-American as a kicker earlier in the week and the senior can now add a second-team All-American nomination to his resume, this time as Wittenberg's punter.

Gingery finished his final Tiger campaign at fifth in the nation in Division III for average yards-per-punt at 43.6 yards, while amassing 2,529 total punting yards on the year (a Wittenberg single-season record).

The NCAC Specialist of the Year sent 27 punts inside the 20 yard-line in 2016, rounding out his impressive Tiger career with 64 of his 169 punts inside the 20, while averaging 1.2 more yards-per-punt than the all-time Wittenberg record, and 1.1 yards more than the NCAC record.

Holmes was named an honorable mention All-American after saving his best season for his last, as the Springfield product recorded 115 total tackles, four forced fumbles, two interceptions and two sacks on his way to being named the NCAC Defensive Player of the Year.

Holmes finishes his Tiger career with 312 tackles, eight sacks, seven forced fumbles, and five interceptions.

Gingery and Holmes became the Tigers' first D3football.com All-American selections since Aaron Coeling earned third-team honors in 2013.

The Tigers finished the 2016 season at 10-2 after winning their 14^th NCAC league title with a conference record of 8-1. Wittenberg won their opening round playoff game in dramatic fashion over Thomas More, as the two teams needed four overtime-periods to settle things; Wittenberg downed the Saints 33-30 in the longest game in NCAA Division III playoff history.

Wittenberg concluded the season with a loss in the NCAA Playoff round of 16 to perennial power-house Wisconsin Whitewater, as the Tigers 2016 season saw the program win its 750^th game all-time.