3 IWU Titans named preseason Division III football All-Americans

Posted on June 23, 2015

Sean Garvey led Illinois Wesleyan with 107 tackles in 2014. (Photo courtesy iwusports.com)

By WJBC Staff

ROSELAND, N.J. — Three Illinois Wesleyan football players have been chosen as preseason Division III All-Americans by USA College Football and American Football Networks – senior wide receiver Artie Checchin and junior linebacker Sean Garvey were chosen to the second team while senior defensive back Kevin Slawkowski was tabbed for the third team.

With 25,016 players competing on the gridiron for 246 D-III programs in 2014, USA College Football recognizes the top four percent of the returning players as the preseason honorees.

Checchin was named to the first team of the all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin squads as a return specialist following a 2014 campaign that saw him return 20 kicks for a total of 441 yards with a school-record 100 yard kickoff return for touchdown against Franklin. Checchin also garnered a second team all-CCIW selection last season as a wide receiver, collecting 49 receptions for 800 yards with seven touchdowns. Heading into 2015, Checchin is third on the all-time charts at IWU with 988 kick return yards and ranks 15th all-time in all-purpose yards (2489).

Garvey was named IWU’s “Most Valuable Defensive Player” after leading the team with 107 total tackles, with 72 of those tackles being solo tackles. Garvey recorded one interception and scored one safety, earning first-team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honors at linebacker.

Slawkowski earned second-team all-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honors at defensive back after recording 58 tackles (28 solo) and two interceptions in 2014. Slawkowski also tied for the CCIW lead with two fumble recoveries while starting all 10 games for the Titans last season.

Illinois Wesleyan opens its 2015 football season at Franklin College in Indiana on Saturday, September 5, with a 1 p.m. (Eastern) kickoff.

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