Oct. 26, 2004

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University punter/placekicker Michael Koenen has been named d2football.com/Pizza Hut National Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance last Saturday in the Vikings' 49-0 win over Western Oregon.

Koenen, a senior from Ferndale (Ferndale High graduate), averaged 54.2 yards on four punts, including a long of 61. He also had three touchbacks on kickoffs and connected on all seven of his extra point attempts.

The 5-foot-ll, 195-pound Koenen ranks third nationally among NCAA Division II punters with a 43.6 average on 29 kicks, and is No.14 in field goals made per game (1.l). He led the nation in punting as a sophomore (44.9) and was fourth last season (43.4). His career average of 43.1 is second only to Central Washington's Joe Smith (43.2, 2001-03) in Northwest small-college history.

Koenen has 254 career kick scoring points, 13 shy of the Northwest small-college record of 267 held by former Viking Wade Gebers (1993-96). Koenen has connected on 40-of-70 field goals and 134-of-141 point after kicks during his four-year career.

Western (5-3, 2-2) travels to Ellensburg on Saturday for a Great Northwest Athletic Conference game against archrival Central Washington University (5-4, 3-1). It is also the ninth annual Cascade Cup contest with both schools having four wins in the trophy series that began in 1996.