ST. LOUIS, Mo. – Maddix Blackwell and Garret Ollendieck were named to the Missouri Valley Football's postseason Second Team as the duo led five Sycamores to earn postseason honors as announced by the conference office on Monday morning.
 
Blackwell (defensive back) and Ollendieck (linebacker) earned postseason recognition for the first time in their collegiate careers with both players finishing in the top-five in the MVFC regular season rankings in overall tackles and tackles per game. Jose Vazquez IV (offensive line), Harry Van Dyne (wide receiver), and Lucas Hunter (defensive line) were all named to the MVFC Honorable Mention squad.
 
Blackwell made major strides in his first full season starting at safety for the Sycamores. The Bloomington, Ind. native became the first Indiana State player to post 100-plus tackles in a single season since Jonas Griffith (2019) on his way to posting 107 stops on the year. He led the Valley in tackles per game (9.73) and recorded seven games with double-digit stops including a season-high 15 against Youngstown State, while adding 13 at North Dakota and 12 in the season finale against Southern Illinois.
 
He was adept in the turnover game playing a part in five fumbles and two interceptions on the year. Blackwell scored ISU's first points of the 2023 season with a 75-yard fumble return for a touchdown against Indiana and added a 15-yard fumble scoop-and-score against Southern Illinois in the season finale. He added a third fumble recovery against Ball State to finish second in the MVFC with three recoveries. Blackwell also posted interceptions against both Eastern Illinois and Western Illinois.
 
Ollendieck finished just shy of 100 tackles finishing with 97 in his second full season with the Sycamores. The Cresco, Iowa native took over as the Sycamores' starting middle linebacker early in the season and the move paid dividends immediately. Ollendieck finished the season with four consecutive double-digit tackling efforts including a 15-stop game against Youngstown State.
 
The linebacker was dominant at the point of attack, particularly along the line of scrimmage. He finished third in the MVFC in sacks (7.5) and second overall in tackles-for-loss (13.0) in the regular season. Ollendieck posted a four-game stretch against South Dakota, North Dakota, Youngstown State, and Western Illinois where he recorded a combined 47 tackles, 7.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.5 sacks, and three quarterback hurries. He added a pick-six for the Sycamores returning an interception 27 yards for the score against Illinois State.
 
Vazquez IV was Indiana State's top-rated offensive lineman in the 2023 season returning experience and leadership in the trenches for the Sycamores. The Carol Stream, Ill. native posted 41 career starts during his time at ISU including 11 at right guard in 2023. He paved the way for ISU to post 120.9 rushing yards and 264.5 yards of total offense per game and helped ISU win the time of possession battle in six of the eight MVFC games.
 
Van Dyne was Indiana State's receiving leader in the 2023 season finishing with 43 catches for a team-high 619 yards, with two touchdowns. The Overland Park, Kan. native highlighted his year with a 10-catch, 122-yard game and a touchdown against Murray State, while adding seven catches for 110 yards against North Dakota. Van Dyne was a proven deep threat for the Sycamores posting a team-high three catches of 40-plus yards on the season including a 54-yard snag against Northern Iowa and a 51-yard reception against North Dakota. He recorded at least 50 receiving yards in six games in 2023.
 
Hunter earned Honorable Mention honors for the second consecutive season as the Indianapolis, Ind. native continue to clog the lanes in the defensive trenches this year. He finished eighth on the Sycamores with 32 total tackles while adding 3.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.0 sacks. Hunter highlighted his season with his first collegiate interception against North Dakota where the defensive tackle snagged the batted ball and took it back 27 yards against the Fighting Hawks. He forced a fumble against Eastern Illinois and added his first sack of the season in the finale against Southern Illinois.
 
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