Naperville, Ill. – Eight Washington University in St. Louis football players earned College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) all-conference honors, the organization recently announced.
 
Sophomore Collin Goldberg and senior Gus Christensen headlined the honors, both earning First Team nods. Sophomore Kenneth Hamilton, senior Matt Rush, junior Mark Charnot, senior Matthew Schmal and senior Bradley Hamilton were named to the second team. Senior Cole Okmin earned the CCIW RESPECT Award.
 
Goldberg led the team with 819 receiving yards on 50 catches for an average of 16.38 yards per catch. His 819 yards receiving ranked fourth among CCIW players this season. In total, Goldberg scored nine touchdowns and averaged 81.90 yards per game. He recorded his largest yardage – 198 – in the final game of the year against UW-River Falls in the second annual Culver's Isthmus Bowl. Additionally, Goldberg was one of the top returners for WashU, tallying 103 yards on nine punts and 288 yards on 13 kickoffs.
 
Christensen was named first team defense after leading the Bears with 73 total tackles – 51 solo and 22 assists – which ranked eighth among CCIW players. He notched a team-high 11 tackles for a loss to go with two sacks, two interceptions and two pass breakups. Christensen was a key piece in the Bears holding opponents to an average of 19.09 points per game.
 
Kenneth Hamilton was named second team offense following a breakout sophomore season where he was one of the top offensive options for the Bears. He led WashU with 869 rushing yards on 122 attempts for an average of 7.0 yards per rush and 77.09 yards per game. Hamilton led the country in yards per rush during the season and closed it out checking in at No. 9. He scored 16 rushing touchdowns and also scored four receiving touchdowns. Hamilton recorded 330 yards receiving in 31 catches.
 
Rush was named second team offense following a stellar senior season in which he went 162-for-230 with 2,214 yards thrown. He threw 27 touchdowns including a long of 77 yards, averaging 246.00 yards of offense per game. Rush was also a running option, picking up 190 yards on 55 carries with one touchdown. Rush finishes his senior season with a career total of 5,043 passing yards, which puts him at fourth-all time in program history. His 5,135 yards of career offense also puts him at fourth on the career list. Rush finished the season with a 184.08 passing efficiency, ranking No. 8 nationally.
 
Charnot earned second team offense after starting at right guard for the Bears. Charnot was part of the offensive line that helped the Bears to a 41.82 points-per-game average as well as going 254-for-381 on the season. WashU scored a total of 62 touchdowns this season and had one of the most prolific offenses in the country, finishing the season at No. 15 for scoring offense.
 
Schmal was second on the team with 69 total tackles – ranked 11^th in the CCIW – with 35 solo and 24 assists. He recorded 8.0 tackles for a loss totaling 23 yards, had three pass breakups and one fumble recovery.
 
Bradley Hamilton earned second team defense options after being one of the top defensive backs for the Bears as a senior. In addition to his pass coverage – he finished with six passes defended – he tallied 22 total tackles including 18 solo, one tackle for a loss and one interception.
 
Okmin earned the CCIW RESPECT Award recipients have distinguished themselves as an integral member of the team, their institution and community by upholding the values of Responsibility, Enthusiasm, Service, Pride, Excellence, Collaboration and Trust. The RESPECT Award recognizes the intangible traits a student-athlete possesses that exemplify great character and encourages inclusiveness and a positive culture.