Pittsburg, Kan.----Don Hansen’s Football Gazette has released its 2009 NCAA Division II All-Super Region 2 squad. Wingate University placed three student-athletes on the honor squad, led by redshirt junior return specialist Perry Floyd (Gastonia, N.C.). The Forestview High School graduate earned first team laurels.

Two Bulldogs were named to the third team: redshirt senior offensive lineman Ben Benshoof (Huntersville, N.C.) and sophomore running back Vince Jordan (Mt. Gilead, N.C.). Earlier, Benshoof was named to the Daktronics All-Super Region 2 football second team.

Perry Floyd was named first team All-South Atlantic Conference as a return specialist. As a kick returner, Floyd averaged 30.4 yards per kick return and contributed 289 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns (one kick return and two receiving) at Lenoir-Rhyne University. Thanks to Floyd’s heroics, the Bulldogs posted a 50-49 come-from-behind victory over the LRU Bears. Floyd finished the year with 1,105 all-purpose yards. As a receiver, he had 32 receptions for 389 yards.

A first team All-SAC performer, Ben Benshoof did not allow a sack this season. He averaged an 89 percent pass blocking efficiency. Benshoof allowed only one QB pressure this season. An offensive captain and three-year starter for the Bulldogs, Benshoof and his teammates helped Wingate average 395.3 total offense yards per game this season. In 2008, Benshoof helped Wingate place second in the SAC (and ninth in the NCAA) in passing offense with 238.4 yards per game.

Vince Jordan finished his sophomore season with 967 yards rushing yards and 12 touchdowns as the West Montgomery High graduate averaged 6.2 yards per carry. Jordan started the year out on a roll, registering 215 yards and three touchdowns in the season-opening win over West Georgia. He also contributed two-touchdown games at Catawba and Mars Hill. Jordan finished the 2009 season with 1,068 all-purpose yards.

The 2009 season marks the seventh year Football Gazette has selected NCAA Division II All-Region teams. An authority on small college football, the national publication has selected NCAA Division II All-America teams since 1988.

Floyd and the other first-team and second-team All-Region selections advance to a national ballot from which the 2009 NCAA Division II Football Gazette All-America team will be named in February. A total of 93 players earned some form of Football Gazette All-Super Region Two honors. Players from 27 schools in Super Region Two earned All-Region accolades.

National quarter-finalist University of North Alabama of the Gulf South Conference led the way with 11 honorees, including a pair of first-team selections. National semifinalist Carson-Newman College was next with eight selections and two first-teamers as well. Independent UNC Pembroke had six selections to the squad, while GSC-members Arkansas Tech and the University of West Alabama had five selections each.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a private four-year co-educational institution of 2,159 students offering active learning opportunities through personalized instruction, world travel, career discovery and community service.

Wingate offers more than 40 undergraduate majors in arts and sciences, business, communication, education, fine arts, music and sport sciences. It also offers graduate degrees in business, education, physician assistant studies and sport administration. In addition, the school awards the doctor of pharmacy and the doctor of education degrees.

Bulldog student-athletes compete in 19 NCAA Division II sports. Wingate University has won the South Atlantic Conference Echols Athletic Excellence Award for the past three years.

Wingate University is ranked number three among NCAA Division II Academic All-America® producing schools in the 2000’s with 34 honorees during this millennium. Only Pittsburg State (Kan.) University and Truman State (Mo.) University have produced more Academic All-America® honorees during this time period. Wingate’s 43 Academic All-America® honorees (lifetime) is tops among all SAC schools.