San Antonio Native Mike Elder Earns Two Defensive Awards

Carleton College (MN) Standout Named to National Team of the Week

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Mike Elder

NORTHFIELD, MN (10/19/2012)(readMedia)-- Throughout the season, Carleton's Mike Elder (San Antonio, Texas/Central Catholic) has been one of the league's top playmakers on defense, and he was at his best last Saturday on the road at Saint John's. The senior safety recorded 18 tackles including 11 solo stops-with both figures representing tops in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) for the weekend. For his impressive performance, Elder picked up a pair of honors. He was voted the MIAC Football Defensive Player-of-the-Week and was named to the D3football.com national team-of-the-week.

This is the second straight week that a Carleton football player secured both awards. Paul Hoffer (Sr./Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) received the distinction following his performance in the Oct. 6 win over Macalester.

Elder's 18 tackles against Saint John's rank as the second-highest figure posted in the MIAC this season and most by a Carleton player since Drew Ziller figured in 12 stops on Oct. 27, 2007 at Concordia. Elder's 11 solo tackles versus the Johnnies was one off his conference-best performance two weeks prior versus No. 3 St. Thomas.

Elder now leads the MIAC with 77 total tackles this season, including 47 solo stops, nine more than the next closest player.

On the national scene, he is the only defensive back among the top 30 tacklers in Division III at 12.83 per game, a figure that ranks eighth overall in D-III and 12th across all NCAA divisions. Elder's average of 7.83 solo stops per contest ties him for fourth in Division III and sixth among all NCAA players.

He has led Carleton in tackles in four of the six games this season, falling a tackle shy of pacing the squad in the other two contests.

Elder and the rest of the Knights will host cross-town rival St. Olaf College on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 1 p.m.

Ranked among the nation's top liberal arts institutions, Carleton is a private, co-educational college of 1,900 students located 40 miles south of Minneapolis and St. Paul. High academic standards, an excellent teaching faculty and a diverse student body contribute to Carleton's outstanding reputation.