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IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa junior kicker Keith Duncan and junior offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs were unanimous first-team selections to the AP All-Big Ten team, the AP announced Wednesday.
In addition to Duncan and Wirfs, junior defensive end A.J. Epenesa was a first-team selection. Senior defensive back Michael Ojemudia and junior defensive back Geno Stone earned second-team honors.
Duncan, a native of Grapevine, Texas, attended Weddington (North Carolina) High School. He was named the Bakken-Anderson Kicker of the Year in the Big Ten Conference. He was also named first-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media.
Duncan (5-foot-10, 180-pounds), set Big Ten and Iowa single-season records with 29 made field goals, a total that ranks sixth-best all-time in the NCAA. Duncan also set a school record with six field goal attempts in Iowa’s win over Purdue. His 34 attempts on the season are also a school record.
Duncan was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts in wins over Iowa State, Illinois, and Nebraska. Duncan booted a game-winning 48-yard field goal with one second to play at Nebraska. He connected on four field goals (23, 45, 24, 29) in Iowa’s win over Illinois, and also had four in the 18-17 win at Iowa State.
For the season, Duncan is 29-of-34 on field goal attempts, 14-of-18 on field goals of 40 or more yards, and a perfect 25-of-25 on PATs. Duncan’s 38 career made field goals are the sixth-most all-time in program history.
Wirfs (6-foot-5, 322-pounds), who attended Mount Vernon (Iowa) High School, was named the Big Ten’s Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the year and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection by league coaches and media.
He started nine games at right tackle and three at left tackle, with 32 career starts in three seasons. He was one of six semifinalists for the 2019 Outland Trophy. He earned honorable mention honors in 2018, and in 2017 was the first true freshman to start at tackle under head coach Kirk Ferentz.
Epenesa (6-foot-6, 280-pounds), a native of Glen Carbon, Illinois (Edwardsville High School), earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the second straight year. He was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following wins over Minnesota and Nebraska. He leads the Hawkeyes in tackles for loss (13-69), sacks (9-54), quarterback pressures (nine) and forced fumbles (three). He also has three pass break-ups.
Ojemudia (6-foot-1, 200-pounds) earned his first All-Big Ten recognition as a second-team selection by the media and a third-team selection by league coaches. He started 11 games while missing one contest due to an injury. The native of Farmington Hills, Michigan (Harrison High School), leads the team with three interceptions. He recorded 36 solo tackles and 11 assists, and has a team-best seven pass break-ups.
Stone (5-foot-10, 210-pounds), a native of New Castle, Pennsylvania (Senior High School), was a second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and an honorable mention by the media. He recorded 65 total tackles (43 solo), three tackles for loss, three pass break-ups, two forced fumbles, one interception, and one recovered fumble.
Iowa (9-3, 7-3) will face USC in the 2019 Holiday Bowl in San Diego on Dec. 27 (7 p.m. CT, FS1). For ticket and bowl game information, visit hawkeyesports.com/bowlcentral.
