Blue Jays Picked 4th In UMAC Preseason Coaches’ Poll

The Westminster Blue Jays were picked to place fourth for the 2013 season in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The three teams, College of St. Scholastica, Greenville College and University of Northwestern (Minn.), were picked as the top three teams for the 2013 season. The College of St. Scholastica finished in first place with 76 points.

The Blue Jays, finishing last year with a 4-6 overall record, received 53 points to lock in fourth place. The Blue Jays will have a strong returning team with top notch newcomers, putting them in a prime position to compete in the UMAC. The Blue Jays will start the season with 16 returning starters, eight offensive returners and eight defensive; they have 36 total returning lettermen.

Among the offensive returners is junior quarterback Joe Plassmeyer. Plassmeyer threw over 3,000 yards for 27 touchdowns last season. On top of the returning quarterback is three year tight end starter, Mac Findeiss. Findeiss finished last year with 454 receiving yards. The Blue Jays have added depth to the wide receiver position this year, adding two key newcomers to the mix. Newcomer Michael Washington will come in as a wide receiver for the Blue Jays. Washington was a three-sport athlete throughout high school and finished a 40 in 4.5 seconds. A new running back was also picked up, which will help the team in the running game.

On the defensive end, the Blue Jays have three key starters returning. Preseason All-American Kyle Bryant will be returning as a defensive end, as well as First Team All-Conference defensive back Jeremy Hampton. Hampton finished last season with 23.5 tackles and three tackles for a loss. Senior Josh Bromberg will be returning this season as a left-back. The Blue Jays will be adding two new defensive-backs into the mix to fill the void left from graduating seniors. Newcomer CJ Vaughn will come in as a defensive back. Vaughn was named to the All-Sectional football team as a junior and senior and to the All-State in track and field in high school.

The Blue Jays kick off their season September 7th at Hendrix College. The home-opener will begin at 1:00 versus Crown College on September 14th.

2013 UMAC Football Coaches’ Poll
1. 76 Points – College of St. Scholastica (5 First Place Votes)
2. 72 Points – Greenville College (3)
3. 66 Points – University of Northwestern (Minn.) (2)
4. 53 Points – Westminster College (Mo.)
5. 48 Points – University of Minnesota Morris
6. 36 Points – Eureka College
7. 29 Points – Iowa Wesleyan College
8. 27 Points – Martin Luther College
9. 23 Points – MacMurray College
10. 20 Points – Crown College