Graceland University Topples NAIA and All-Division Football Records

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LAMONI, IA (11/15/2017) Graceland University Football set six National Athletic Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) records, two All Division (NCAA and NAIA combined) records, and tied one All Division record during the 2017 season. Freshman wide receiver Caleb Thomas and red-shirt junior quarterback Preston Compton were central to setting multiple records during the 2017 season.

Graceland University, member of the Heart of America Athletic Conference, may not have seen the team results they were hoping for under first-year head coach Marc Kolb, but the team saw individual success throughout.

Coach Kolb said, "We never go out with the intention of setting records, but we always understand there is an opportunity if we consistently do what we should. As a program, we always want to celebrate greatness."

Thomas, a 5'9 wide receiver from Miami Gardens, Florida, marked an impressive season in his first year as a collegiate football player. He set three NAIA records, two All-Divisions records, and tied another All-Division record. In just the fourth game of the season, Thomas snapped the NAIA record for most receptions in a game - previously held by two people at 21 - with an impressive 27 receptions in a single game. The record, set against No. 2 Baker University, was an All-Division Record as well.

Thomas continued to be a target and threat offensively for the Yellowjackets, consistently posting double-figure reception throughout the year. In only 10 games, he caught 158 catches for 1,235 yards. He accounted for 10 touchdowns and averaged 123.5 yards per game. He now owns the NAIA and All-Division record for most receptions in a season, surpassing the previous NAIA record of 144 set by Chris George of Glenville State (West Virginia) in 1991. Thomas averaged 15.8 catches per game to set the NAIA and All-Divisions records. The previous NAIA record was set by Wayne Hawkins in 1991 when he averaged 12.6 catches per game (126 in 10 games). The previous All Division record was 13.3 receptions per game held by North Greenville's (DII Independent), Freddie Martino, which he set in 2013.

"It is very unusual to have a freshman wide receiver come in and become the primary receiver for any team, but for him to have this type of a season is really amazing," said Coach Kolb. "We went into the season expecting to lean on preseason All-American tight end Nick Reynolds, but when he was lost to injury so early in the season, Caleb Thomas just stepped up and filled that gap."

Preston Compton, a red-shirt junior quarterback from Aubrey, Texas, set two individual NAIA records. He set the single-game record for total offensive plays by an individual with 103 total plays against No. 2 Baker University. In that same game, Graceland set the NAIA record for total offensive plays with 124. Compton also set the individual offensive plays per game record, averaging 72.2 plays per game. He surpassed the previous record set in 1983 by Kevin Kott of Eastern New Mexico with 69.0 (690 in 10 games).

"These are certainly things we can build on as we continue to grow and improve as a program," continued Kolb. "The fact that we had this type of success so quickly was amazing. It will be interesting to see what we are able to accomplish in year two as we get an opportunity to recruit and go through our first offseason together."

Graceland looks to build on this year and move forward into the next. The complete 2018 Yellowjacket Football schedule will be released in the spring.

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