Aug. 9, 2005

BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Western Washington University senior wide receiver Andy Olson is the lone Great Northwest Athletic Conference representative among a talented list of 114 players named to the 2005 Don Hansen's Football Gazette Preseason All-America team.

Olson, a senior from Chehalis (graduate of W.F. West), was an honorable mention D2football.com All-American, first-team D2football.com and second-team Football Gazette Northwest Region all-star and unanimous first-team GNAC all-star in 2004.

Olson, who also was a Football Gazette Preseason All-American in 2004, enters the season with a school and GNAC record string of touchdown catches in nine consecutive games (two in seven of those contests). He ranks No.3 among Western career leaders in both touchdown catches (27, 3 short of record) and receptions (150, 31 short of record), and No.4 in receiving yards (2,480, 788 short of record).

Last year, Olson set school and league records by making 15 touchdown catches, having 68 receptions overall for 1,075 yards. He ranked No.9 nationally in receiving yards per game (107.5 avg.), breaking his own GNAC record, and was No.12 in receptions per game (6.8).

Olson also was a second-team all-GNAC pick as a punt returner, ranking No.30 nationally with an 11.5 average yards per return.

Western, which began fall practice last Thursday, opens its season on Aug. 27 (7 p.m. MT) at Mesa State.

2005 NCAA Division II Preseason All America Team