Tennessee Tech junior kicker Nick Madonia begins the new football season on the watch list for the Fred Mitchell Outstanding Place-Kicker Award.
The Mitchell Award is given to the top kicker from more than 750 universities in the Football Championship Subdivision, National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II, NCAA Division III, the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, and the National Junior College Athletic Association, according to fredmitchellaward.com.
Madonia is one of 36 kickers named by the award’s selection committee to be on the pre-season watchlist. Ten of these 36 kickers will be named finalists and the winner is expected to be presented with the award in February.
The winner receives a trophy, and the winning kicker’s university receives scholarship funds from “corporate and individual donations, as well as nominal financial support provided by the selection committee,” according to fredmitchellaward.com.
Madonia is coming off a record-setting 2016 season. He converted 13 of 16 field goal attempts and 33 of 35 extra points. He also set the school record for longest field goal with a 57-yard conversion against Tennessee State, according to the Tennessee Tech Sports Information Office.
Through two games this season, Madonia is 0-1 on field goals, but perfect on extra points.
Madonia’s 2016 effort resulted in him being named as a finalist for the 2016 Mitchell Award. University of North Carolina-Pembroke kicker Matt Davis ultimately received the award.
