NAPERVILLE, Ill. – Wheaton’s Sola Olateju, along with North Central’s DJ Warkenthien and Ben Wong were selected as the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Football Players of the Week on Monday.
 
Olateju, a senior running back from North Oaks, Minnesota and Mounds View High School (Economics & International Relations major), rushed for 273 yards on 25 carries and four touchdowns during the Thunder’s 71-0 win at Carroll on Saturday. He established career highs for rushing yards and touchdowns in a single game as well as a new school record for career rushing with 3,194 yards. He also finished with 34 career touchdowns, which tied for fifth in program history.
 
Warkenthien, a junior linebacker from Naperville, Illinois and Neuqua Valley High School (Marketing/Accounting major), finished with 13 total tackles (six solo), six tackles-for-loss and two sacks during a 49-7 win at Elmhurst on Saturday. He established a new career high in tackles and came within one tackle-for-loss of matching the North Central single-game record. The Cardinals limited the Bluejays to a net loss of 16 yards rushing, which was the third-lowest total ever by a North Central opponent. With the win, the Cardinals clinched a share of the CCIW title on Saturday, their 13th in program history.
 
Wong, a freshman linebacker from Bloomington, Illinois and Normal Community High School, blocked two punts and forced a fumble in kickoff coverage during the Cardinals’ win over Elmhurst on Saturday. North Central scored touchdowns within two plays on all three occasions. He also recorded two other tackles in kickoff coverage.
 
2017 CCIW Football Players of the Week
 
Offense
Sola Olateju – Wheaton (11/13/17)
Austin Breunig – North Central (11/6/17)
Kyle Friberg – Carthage (10/30/17)
Austin Breunig – North Central (10/23/17)
Curtis McWilliams – Wheaton (10/17/17)
Nicco Stepina – Millikin (10/9/17)
Broc Rutter – North Central (10/2/17)
Jamel Davis – Carthage (9/25/17)
Spencer Peterson – Wheaton (9/18/17)
Gerald Perry – Millikin (9/11/17)
Austin Breunig – North Central (9/5/17)
 
Defense
DJ Warkenthien – North Central (11/13/17)
David Simmons Jr. – North Park (11/6/17)
Eric Dubose – Illinois Wesleyan (10/30/17)
Trevor Staley – Illinois Wesleyan (10/23/17)
Pete Laughlin – Carthage (10/17/17)
Jordan Hassan – Illinois Wesleyan (10/9/17)
Jordan Hassan – Illinois Wesleyan (10/2/17)
Pat Cravens – North Central (9/25/17)
Tommy Sora – North Central (9/18/17)
Shawntrel Garner – Carthage (9/11/17)
Trevor Staley – Illinois Wesleyan (9/5/17)
 
Special Teams
Ben Wong – North Central (11/13/17)
Stefan Knoerr – Wheaton (11/6/17)
Anthony Sciarini – Illinois Wesleyan (10/30/17)
Ben Spelman – Millikin (10/23/17)
Liam Keffer – Illinois Wesleyan (10/17/17)
Matt Sutherland – North Central (10/9/17)
Tommy Bazarek – Carthage (10/2/17)
Stefan Knoerr – Wheaton (9/25/17)
Jacob Stytz – Augustana (9/18/17)
Wyatt Fox – Millikin (9/11/17)
Stefan Knoerr – Wheaton (9/5/17)
 
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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, IL), Carroll University (Waukesha, WI), Carthage College (Kenosha, WI), Elmhurst College (Elmhurst, IL), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, IL), Millikin University (Decatur, IL), North Central College (Naperville, IL), North Park University (Chicago, IL) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, IL). During the 2016-17 academic year, the CCIW honored over 1,900 academic all-conference recipients, 10 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, 33 CoSIDA Academic All-District recipients, one CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year and over 100 all-Americans.