Dec 24, 2024
Michigan Tech punter Brenden Lach (left) and defensive back Hunter Buechel (right) were both named Don Hansen Division II All-American. (Photos courtesy of Michigan Tech University)
BROOKFIELD, Ill. — Michigan Tech Huskies football standouts senior punter Brenden Lach and senior captain defensive back Hunter Buechel have been named to the 2024 Don Hansen Division II All-America Team, announced Friday (Dec. 20).
Lach was named to the First Team (Defense), while Buechel was tabbed as an honorable mention selection.
Lach, hailing from South Lyon, Michigan, has been one of the top punters in Division II this season, ranking second in the country with his 45.5 punting average. For the season, the First Team All-GLIAC Defensive team selection recorded 65 punts (2,960 yards), just three punts shy of tying the all-time season record, with his total yards surpassing the current record of 2,277 yards set back in 1979. His booming kicks resulted in seven touchbacks, 15 fair catches, 20 inside the 20-yard line and an astounding 23 punts over 50 yards. His longest punt this season went 67 yards.
In 29 games as a Husky, Lach has recorded 150 punts for 6,608 yards for an average of 44.1, which ranks first in the country for Division II among active players. Additionally, Lach is 284 yards away from the program record held by Tony Bourdow (6,892 yards) from 1979-82.
This marks the third All-America distinction this season for Lach, who was a Don Hansen Division II Honorable Mention All-American a season ago.
Buechel, from Lake Mills, Wisconsin, recorded 61 total tackles, including a team-leading 21.5 tackles for loss and six sacks to go with two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He was named to the All-GLIAC First Team (defense) and finished fourth in Division II and first in the GLIAC with 1.9 tackles for loss per game.
The Don Hansen team carries out the legacy of long-time small college football advocate Don Hansen, who passed away at age 75 on Aug. 29, 2010. Hansen, from Brookfield, Ill., started and published Don Hansen’s National Weekly Football Gazette for three decades, selecting NCAA Division II All-America teams for the first time in 1988.
The Huskies finished 7-4 overall and 4-3 in the GLIAC, tying for third in the league under second-year head coach Dan Mettlach.
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