Six football players from The University of Olivet earn All-MIAA honors, Ball receives Pete Schmidt Award

HUDSONVILLE, Mich. – Six football players from The University of Olivet have been named to the 2023 All-Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) teams. Sophomore running back Dontal Wright earned All-MIAA First Team honors, while senior wide receiver SirQuarius Ball, freshman safety James Banks, senior offensive lineman Andrew Elenga, and senior defensive linemen Dennis Simmons and Ricky Williamson are All-MIAA Second Team selections. In addition, Ball has received the Pete Schmidt Memorial Award.

Despite missing two games, Wright led the MIAA in rushing with 816 yards on 127 carries (6.4 average). He scored six touchdowns. Ball started all 10 games at wide receiver with 38 receptions for 697 yards and five touchdowns. Elenga blocked for the offense, which averaged 398.6 yards – 199.6 on the ground and 199.0 through the air.

Banks played in all 10 games and recorded 62 total tackles (29 solo and 33 assisted).

Simmons finished the year with 51 total tackles (26 solo and 25 assisted), while Williamson had 41 total tackles (25 solo and 16 assisted). Simmons led the team with 11 tackles for loss for minus 47 yards, including six quarterback sacks. Williamson, a two-time All-MIAA selection, also registered six quarterback sacks for negative 51 yards. He ends his Olivet career with 36 tackles for loss, which is the fourth-most for an Olivet player since the 2002 season.

The Pete Schmidt Memorial Award is presented annually to honor the legacy of Pete Schmidt, an Alma College alumni and Albion College football coach who died of cancer in 2000. Ball is the fourth Olivet student-athlete to receive this prestigious award. The others were Travis Sleight in 2005, Anthony Edwards in 2013 and Trenton Monroe in 2018. A sports and recreation management major, Ball was unanimously selected as a team captain for the 2023 season and has been a part of the team's leadership council for the last two years. He received the Arthur Ashe Sports Scholar Award in 2023. Ball has also done community service in the Olivet community as well as his hometown of Bridgeport.