2025 Fred Mitchell Midseason Watch List Release

La Crosse, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior placekicker Michael Stack of Oshkosh (West) has been named to the 2025 Fred Mitchell Award Midseason Watch List, presented to the top placekicker for excellence on the football field and community service throughout the year. 

Stack is one of 38 placekickers on the watch list, including one of six from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III. The Fred Mitchell Award is provided to the nation's top collegiate placekicker among more than 750 Football Championship Subdivision, NCAA Division II and III, National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) teams. Gabe Panikowski of Idaho State University earned the 2024 award. Nominations are based on regular-season statistics only.

 

The recipient of the award will be announced in December. The award is named for Fred Mitchell, the record-setting place-kicker, Wittengberg University (Ohio) Athletic Hall of Fame, author, philanthropist and Chicago Tribune sports columnist. 

One of 10 finalists for the 2023 Fred Mitchell Award, Stack is 19-of-19 in extra points and six-of-seven in field goal attempts this season. He is 116-of-116 in career extra points, ranking third in extra points made and fifth in attempts. Stack is fourth in career field goals made with 26.

Stack is six-of-seven in field goal attempts this season, making a 19-yard field goal in UWL's 31-22 win over Wayne State University (Mich.) on September 20. He went three-of-three in the Eagles' 23-20 double overtime victory at ninth-ranked UW-Whitewater on October 4. Stack had a 43-yard field goal and made a pair of 36-yard field goals in overtime, including the game-winner.  He was two-of-two in a 41-21 win over UW-Eau Claire on October 11, including a season-high 45-yard field goal.     

He was named the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Special Teams Player of the Week after UWL's wins over UW-Whitewater and UW-Eau Claire. Stack has been named the league's special teams player of the week six times in his career. 

Stack is fifth in the WIAC this season in points per game (7.4) while his 37 points ranks fourth amongst kickers. 

Voted to the 2023 D3football.com All-America and Associated Press (AP) All-America First Teams, Stack went 13-of-15 in field goal attempts and 65-of-65 in extra points during the 2023 season. The 13 field goals tied the single-season school record set by Chris Schumacher in 1989. Stack had four different games with at least two field goals made.  His 65 extra-points broke Ryan Beirne's single-season school record of 49 set in 2021.

Stack was named the 2023 WIAC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year and selected the WIAC Special Teams Player of the Week four times while earning all-league first team honors. He converted a 51-yard field goal on the final play of the game in UWL's 37-34 victory at third-ranked UW-Whitewater on October 7, 2023. Stack's 51-yard field goal tied the school record set by Dewey Stendahl versus St. Norbert College (Wis.) in 1969 and Beirne against UW-Oshkosh in 2022.

UWL, ranked 12th on this week's D3football.com and America Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Top-25 Polls, returns to action Saturday, October 25 hosting UW-Oshkosh at 2 p.m.