Seniors Kraig Ladd and Jack Scalcucci on offense and Nick Nikolich on defense have been chosen as the "Most Valuable Players" for the 2009 Illinois Wesleyan football team.

Ladd (Shelbyville, Ill., HS) completed 146 of 243 passes for 1,913 yards and 19 touchdowns for the 10-2 Titans, who won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin championship and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III playoff before losing to eventual national champion Wisconsin-Whitewater.
Ladd finished his career No. 2 at the school with 493 completions, behind only Lon Erickson (495, 1993-96) and was No. 3 with 58 touchdown passes, trailing only Erickson (with 62) and Wally Kistenfeger (59, 1970-73). His 5,884 passing yards is No. 4 all-time at IWU and he placed No. 3 with 6,041 yards of total offense, behind only John Rooney (7,393, 1982-84) and Erickson (7,299).

Nikolich (Libertyville, Ill., HS) was also the winner of the team's "Best Big Skill" award and Scalcucci (Batavia, Ill., HS) was the winner of the squad's "Doug Schmied Award", voted on by the coaches for loyalty, leadership, citizenship, most sports- and team-minded and attitude. The honor is named for Schmied, the IWU senior offensive lineman who passed away in 2005.

Nikolich, who was named CCIW "Don Larson Defensive Player of the Year", led the Titans with 84 total tackles (60 solo) and had 6.5 quarterback sacks for -74 yards. He also recovered a fumble. He finished his career with 258 tackles, good for 10th all-time at IWU.

Scalcucci caught a team-high 57 passes for 797 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Other team award winners were:

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER - #P.J. Cummings#, sophomore, DB, Chicago, Ill. (Niles Notre Dame HS)
BEST SKILL - Eli Williams, junior, RB, Westville, Ill. (HS)
BEST LINEMAN - Ryan Jenkins, junior, DL, Park Forest, Ill. (Rich South HS)
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER - Dennis Zic, junior, P, Wood Dale, Ill. (Fenton HS)
MOST VALUABLE FRESHMAN - Mike Kraft, LB, Naperville, Ill. (Central HS)
OFFENSIVE JUNIOR VARSITY PLAYER - Cameron Blossom, freshman, FB, Flanagan, Ill. (HS)
DEFENSIVE JUNIOR VARSITY PLAYER - Ted Delicath, freshman, DB, Peoria, Ill. (Limestone HS)


SENIORS (20)              
Mike Ammirati  DL    6-3    245    Woodstock, Ill. (HS)
Robert Beauchamp  DB    6-1    208    Cerro Gordo, Ill. (HS)
Travis Boothe  OL    6-5    285    Villa Park, Ill. (Willowbrook HS)
Andrew Boyd  DL    6-5    275    Metamora, Ill. (HS)
Travis Brubaker  RB    5-11    210    Mt. Prospect, Ill. (Hersey HS)
Keenan Clifford  OL    6-2    275    Tinley Park, Ill. (Lincoln Way East HS)
Adam Crouch  DB    5-10    205    Sycamore, Ill. (HS)
Keely Flood  OL    6-1    265    Lombard, Ill. (Montini Catholic HS)
Mike Gainey  LB    5-11    200    Streamwood, Ill. (Driscoll Catholic HS)
Roman Hunter  DB    6-0    196    Chicago, Ill. (Gordon Tech HS)
Mike Kotz  LB    6-2    220    Elmwood Park, Ill. (St. Patrick HS)
Kraig Ladd  QB    6-5    208    Shelbyville, Ill. (HS)
Neal Loftus  DB    5-11    180    LaGrange Park, Ill. (Lyons Township HS)
Jon Meacham  FB    6-1    220    Oak Park, Ill. (Oak Park-River Forest HS)
Chris Messina  WR    6-3    200    Chicago, Ill. (Nazareth Academy)
Aaron Moody    WR    6-0    185    Riverdale, Ill. (Marist HS)
Nick Nikolich  LB    6-2    205    Libertyville, Ill. (HS)
Larry Pope  TE    6-4    235    Carol Stream, Ill. (West Chicago HS)
Jack Scalcucci  WR    6-2    210    Batavia, Ill. (HS)
Pat Topf  TE    6-2    230    Orland Park, Ill. (Sandburg HS)

JUNIORS (13)               
Max Brooks     DL    6-2    256    Oak Park, Ill. (Oak Park-River Forest HS)
James Fountain    DL    6-2    260    Wheaton, Ill. (North HS)
Michael Handke     OL    6-3    235    Brookfield, Ill. (Lyons Township HS)
Ryan Jenkins    LB    6-2    205    Park Forest, Ill. (Rich South HS)
Ray Krishock     OL    6-4    295    Wheaton, Ill. (St. Francis HS)
Bo Lanter     RB    6-0    205    Clayton, Mo. (HS)
Jeff Lawson    DE    6-3    225    Monticello, Ill. (HS)
James Mosterd     OL    6-2    280    Tinley Park, Ill. (Andrew HS)
Sean O'Neill    OL    6-5    350    Chicago, Ill. (Marist HS)
Dan Rogers     LB    6-2    220    Park Ridge, Ill. (Maine South HS)
Brien Rooney     QB    6-0    190    Western Springs, Ill. (Fenwick HS)
Eli Williams     RB    5-9    175    Westville, Ill. (HS)
Dennis Zic     K/P    6-1    185    Wood Dale, Ill. (Fenton HS)

SOPHOMORES (17)               
Jeremy Adams    OL    6-3    283     Springfield, Ill. (Sacred Heart Griffin HS)
Dayton Burnett    WR    6-1    185    Springfield, Ill. (HS)
Erich Bushong     DB    5-11    170    Normal, Ill. (Normal West HS)
P.J. Cummings    DB    5-10    205    Chicago, Ill. (Niles Notre Dame HS)
Joseph Driver    WR    6-1    175    Matteson, Ill. (Rich Central HS)
Michael Fenger    K    6-1    190    Bloomington, Ill. (Central Catholic HS)
Ryan Gresko     LB    6-1    220    Woodridge, Ill. (Downers Grove North HS)
Benjamin Houk    LB    6-0    210    Willow Springs, Ill. (Lyons Township HS)
Trace Hummel     OL    6-2    260     Crystal Lake, Ill. (South HS)
Will Jenkins    DB    5-9    180    Maywood, Ill. (Walther Lutheran HS)
Justin Olson    FB    5-11    220    Orland Park, Ill. (Sandburg HS)
Andrew Petro     DL    6-3    234     Arlington Heights, Ill. (Hersey HS)
Chris Rice     DL    6-4    230     Dolton, Ill. (Thornton Township HS)
Michael Sloboda    WR    6-0    185     Wheaton, Ill. (Wheaton-Warrenville So.)
Bret Swango    DB    5-11    200    Cuba, Ill. (HS)
Scott Wenzel    DB    6-1    175    Arlington Heights, Ill. (Rolling Meadows HS)
Michael Whittington    LB    5-11    210    Downers Grove, Ill. (North HS)

FRESHMEN (8)               
Cameron Allen    WR     5-9    165    Anchorage, Alaska (Service (HS)
Parker Carroll    TE     6-3    215    Oak Forest, Ill. (HS)
Trey Cunningham    DE     6-2    200    Springfield, Ill. (Chatham-Glenwood HS)
Ryan Eich    OL    6-2    240    Palatine, Ill. (HS)
Mike Kraft    LB     5-11    205    Naperville, Ill. (Central HS)
Brett Robinson    WR    6-0    170    Wheaton, Ill. (St. Francis HS)
Andrew Weishar    DL    6-2    225    Midlothian, Ill. (Brother Rice HS)
Zach Zentner    DB    5-9    195    Bloomington, Ill. (Normal U High)