Youngstown State senior long snapper Steven Wethli was named a second-team All-American for his performance during the 2018 season, STATS FCS announced on Tuesday.
Wethli is the first Penguin long snapper to earn All-America honors in school history. He earned first-team All-MVFC honors in 2018 as well, becoming the first YSU long snapper to be a first-team all-conference selection. He was a two-time All-MVFC honoree, earning honorable-mention honors in 2017.
A senior from New Castle, Pa., Wethli was a four-year starter for the Penguins and snapped on 472 kicking attempts throughout his career. As a senior in 2018, he snapped on 106 kicks - 59 punts, 30 PAT tries and 17 field-goal atttempts.
A model of consistency, Wethli served as a snapper for a variety of punters, holders and placekickers during his career.
As a freshman in 2015, he snapped for punter Nick Sheely, true freshman placekicker Zak Kennedy and Connor McFadden. Serving as holder on placement kicks during the year were Tanner Garry and Sheely. During the 2016 campaign, YSU had three different players attempt placement kicks - Kennedy, Nate Needham and McFadden - Mark Schuler handled the punting duties and YSU used three holders in Kyle Hegedus, Nate Mays and Schuler. In 2017, Hegedus held for all kicks while Kennedy and Schuler were the lone kickers. In 2018, Schuler and Kennedy had punts, Kennedy and Grant Gonya had placement kick attempts and Schuler served as the holder for the entire campaign.
Schuler and Kennedy ended their YSU careers among the Penguins all-time career leaders in numerous kicking categories.
Kennedy ended his Penguin career ranked second in points by a kicker (302), second in field goals made (54), third in field-goal attempts (80), fourth in overall scoring (302), fourth in PATs made (140) and PAT attempts (143). Schuler was second in school history in career punting average at 40.9 per kick and was fifth in career punts (160). Kennedy made the final 75 point-after kicks of his career, setting a school record for consecutive makes.
During his career, YSU set single-season school records for field goals made (20 - 2016) and field-goal attempts (33 - 2016). Schuler was second in school history in punting average in 2016 and fourth in 2017.
