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Date: December 18, 2002
Contact: Bill Sodoma

 

Colby's Stepka named to All-America team

WATERVILLE, Maine --

After leading NCAA Division III in rushing in 2002, Colby College sophomore running back Aaron Stepka (Farmington/Farmington, Conn.) earned All-America status Wednesday.

Stepka was named to the 2002 Hewlett Packard Division III All-America Third Team. He became the first running back under 17th-year head coach Tom Austin to earn All-America honors for Colby (4-4).

"He's the best running back we've ever had here," Austin said. "This award is not something that has happened overnight for him. The way he trains before and during the season is what separates him from others. His conditioning is the reason he had so many stellar performances."

Stepka was one of two New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) players who earned All-America honors. Williams College senior defensive back Scott Farley made the second team. Stepka is also one of the youngest players to make the first three teams. He was one of six players (two were kickers) who were sophomores or younger.

Through games of December 14, Stepka leads NCAA Division III in rushing at 171.3 yards per game. With just the Division III national championship game to be played, Mount Union's Dan Pugh is the only player still playing ranked in the top 10 among leading rushers. However, he would need more than 350 yards in the title game to overtake Stepka.

Stepka was named to the NESCAC First Team, the New England Division II/III All-Star Team and was a Football Gazette All-East Region First Team selection. He still has a chance to earn All-America honors by two other organizations.

Stepka broke the NESCAC single-season rushing record (1,370 yards) and the single-season record for carries (293). The 1,370 yards also broke a 30-year-old Colby record for single-season rushing. He had 1,370 of Colby's 1,493 rushing yards and helped the Mules finish second in the league in rushing offense and second in total offense.

In the final NESCAC statistics, Stepka led the league in rushing yards per game, rushing yards, all-purpose yards (173.9) and was tied for the conference lead in total touchdowns (11). Stepka ranked 16th in NCAA Division III in all-purpose yards in the latest statistics.

Stepka, the NESCAC Offensive Rookie of the Year in his first season with the Mules, has 1,851 career yards and 17 touchdowns in 16 games. He is averaging 4.6 yards per carry in his collegiate career. Stepka averaged 194.2 yards per game in Colby's final six games of the season when the Mules went 4-2.

A total of 115 players from 69 schools were honored on the 25th annual Hewlett Packard All-America Team. The team was selected by a panel of 29 sports information directors representing the four playoff regions in NCAA Division III. The original ballot had nearly 400 players nominated.