INDIANAPOLIS - Coming off of an historic win at FCS Morehead State last week, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference garnered two Panthers with Athlete of the Week honors on Monday (August 31). 

Junior punter Ian Furlong and sophomore defensive back Sean Westmoreland shined in their Panther debuts and were named Special Teams and Defensive Athlete of the Week, respectively. 

Furlong had an average of 43.2 yards per punt as he punted eight times on Thursday night. Furlong's longest punt of the night was 55 yards in the second quarter and later added a 51 yard kick later in the third quarter. 

Westmoreland was second on the team with eight tackles in the game but most importantly, he secured two interceptions. He was one of five Division II players with a pair of picks in Week 0. On the first play of the second quarter, Westmoreland got his first interception, leading to the second touchdown for the Panthers. In the first overtime, Westmoreland saved the game with an interception in the end zone, sending the game to a second overtime. 

This is the first time since November 7, 2022 where the Panthers had multiple Athletes of the Week.