Aug. 19, 2002
BELLINGHAM, Wash. --- Two Western Washington University football players were on the d2football.com All-America preseason team released today.
Sophomore placekicker Michael Koenen (Ferndale) was named to the first team and senior defensive end Corey Gunnerson (Everett) earned second team recognition.
Koenen, who enters the season with a school-record tying six consecutive field goals, earned first-team d2football.com West Region and Great Northwest Athletic Conference all-star honors as a redshirt freshman last season. He led the team with 82 points, making 13-of-20 field goals, a 1.20 per game average that ranked No.7 nationally; and converting a school-record 43 extra points in 46 attempts. Koenen booted a school-record 54-yard field goal versus Central Oklahoma.
Gunnerson, a team co-captain, was a second-team d2football.com all-West Region pick in 2001 and a first-team all-GNAC choice. He was credited with 26.0 tackles, 13.0 for losses of 56 yards, including 7.0 quarterback sacks for minus-43 yards.
The Vikings, who return 35 letter winners and 15 starters, were 8-3 last season, winning a third consecutive league title for the first time in school history by claiming the inaugural Great Northwest Athletic Conference crown with a 3-0 mark.
Western opens its 2002 season Sept. 5 (6 p.m. PT), visiting Central Oklahoma.
Click Here to view the entire team
