Sleva named November PAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month

12/15/2025 10:31:00 AM

TRAFFORD, Pa.--Senior Dylan Sleva (McDonald, Pa., Moon) was named a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Scholar-Athlete of the Month for November Monday morning.

Each month the Student-Athlete Advisory Committees (SAAC) at each PAC member institution are asked to nominate one male and one female student-athlete for PAC SAAC Scholar-Athlete of the Month consideration based on academic and athletic accomplishments. Nominees must be a varsity team member in their respective sport(s) and in their junior or senior year. Scholar-Athlete of the Month nominees must have a cumulative grade-point average (GPA0 of 3.0 or higher and be actively involved within their campus communities.

A member of Westminster's football program, Sleva joins Waynesburg junior Julz Mohrbacher, a standout women's soccer player for the Yellow Jackets, as the PAC SAAC's November honorees.

Sleva captured PAC Defensive Player of the Year honors on Nov. 22. A First Team All-PAC choice, he is the program's fourth defensive player of the year selection since 2017. It was his third-straight year earning All-PAC after claiming Second Team All-PAC in 2023 and 2024. Sleva earned D3football.com First Team All-Region honors Dec. 10. He helped Westminster go 4-0 in November, totaling 33 tackles (18 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. He was named the PAC's recipient of the CKA SAVE Project Balanced Student-Athlete Award, presented to one player from each of the four participating teams in this year's Opendorse Bowl Series, to recognize individuals who demonstrate exceptional commitment and success in both academics and athletics. Sleva finished with 12 tackles (9 solo), a sack and a forced fumble in Westminster's 40-21 victory over Mount St. Joseph in the 2nd Annual Extra Points Bowl Nov. 22 at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium.

A biology major, Sleva is also pursuing a minor in secondary education. He currently owns a 3.26 cumulative GPA. After completing his undergraduate degree and certifications related to the secondary education minor, Sleva plans on pursuing a Master of Business Administration (MBA). One of 33 Division III semifinalists for the 2025 William V. Campbell Trophy®, which recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership, he was also named as a nominee for the Allstate American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Good Works Team^® Tuesday on July 15.

Sleva's 347 career tackles are No. 5 among active Division III players and rank 20th among all NCAA defenders. His 110 total tackles (52 solo) rank 18th in Division III. He added 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and a forced fumble in 2025. Sleva registered a career-high 25 tackles (9 solo), the second-most by a Division III player in 2025, in a 12-8 season-opening loss to Marietta (Sept. 4) and was named PAC Defensive Player of the Week after posting 13 tackles (5 solo) and an interception in a 27-7 win at Franklin & Marshall (Sept. 13). Sleva earned a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week after registering 15 tackles (10 solo) and a sack, his fifth-straight game with a dozen or more stops, in a 28-23 victory at Case Western Reserve (Sept. 20). He had double-digit stops in five games this season.

Sleva has served as a volunteer with the College's Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) program and Special Olympics Lawrence County, assisting with initial visitor registration for an annual spring event on campus that welcomes hundreds of Special Olympics athletes from seven local counties for a basketball tournament, swim meet and, for the first time, a track and field event last spring. He has volunteered at Wilmington Field Day, Wilmington Area Elementary School's annual visit to campus, where Westminster student-athletes run basketball, track, football, golf, volleyball, soccer, tennis and lacrosse activities that keep the visiting students and College student-athletes engaged. Sleva has helped lead the football program's participation in the annual Toys for Tots campaign while assisting the United States Marine Corps with its annual toy drive and distribution and worked with other members of the football program to clean up local parks around the New Wilmington community.

Westminster wrapped up its season with an 8-3 record. It is the sixth season winning eight or more games under 12th-year head coach Scott Benzel.

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