ST. PAUL, Minn. - Westminster football was selected to finish fourth in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference this season, based on a poll from the league's head coaches.

The Blue Jays tied with Greenville for 41 points in the poll, followed by Northwestern with 52, St. Scholastica with 55, and MacMurray in first place with 57 points and four first-place votes. 

Westminster will look to senior quarterback Trent White, returning from his First Team All-UMAC selection a year ago, finishing third in the league in total yards. White, a dual threat quarterback who led the team in both passing and rushing yards last year, has two of his top receivers from last season in Matt Quarles and Lucas Robinson. 

Quarles, a First Team selection for special teams, caught five touchdown passes last year. Robinson led the team in touchdown receptions with six. 

Also returning for the offense is lineman Sam Poole, who was a Second Team nod last season after playing every snap for the Blue Jaysin 2017. 

Defensively, Westminster returns three All-Conference selections in Jackson Ringhausen, Clayton Bristol, and Anthony Washington. Jacob Money will also continue to be a forth in the back field for Westminster. 

Ringhausen and Bristol, both Second Team picks last season, combined for 135 tackles in 2017, including 29.5 tackles for a loss. Bristol led the team in sacks with 6.5. Washington, a First Team pick, will continue to be a threat from cornerback after leading the conference in passes defended last year. 

Westminster opens the season Sept. 8 at Millsaps before returning home Sept. to face Iowa Wesleyan for its first game on the new turf field.

The full UMAC poll:

MacMurray – 57 points ( 4 First Place Votes)
St. Scholastica – 55 points ( 2 First Place Votes)
Northwestern – 52 points ( 2 First Place Votes)
Greenville  – 41 points (1 First Place Votes)
Westminster – 41 points
Martin Luther – 28 points
Iowa Wesleyan– 22 points
Minnesota Morris – 16 points
Crown – 12 points

To read the full UMAC release, click here.