AMES, Iowa – Iowa State punter Kirby Van Der Kamp has been named to the 25-player preseason watch list for the 2013 Ray Guy Award, which is given annually to the nation’s top collegiate punter. The award is presented by the Augusta Sports Council.
Van Der Kamp, a senior from West Des Moines, Iowa, is one of four players that were semifinalists for the 2012 award. He joins Kyle Christy (Florida), Steven Clark (Auburn) and Tyler Williams (Marshall) with that distinction. He and TCU’s Ethan Perry are the only Big 12 players on the list.
Van Der Kamp , a preseason All-American, earned All-Big 12 Second-Team honors from the coaches in the league in 2012 after he had 10 punts of 50 yards or more and averaged 41 yards on 77 attempts. Van Der Kamp is a big weapon for the Cyclones, often pinning opponents deep in their own territory. In 2012, he dropped 29 punts inside the 20-yard line with just two touchbacks.
Van Der Kamp’s career average of 42.8 yards per kick ranks him second on the all-time ISU career list behind only Marc Harris’ (1993-96) 43.1 average. He has had just one punt blocked in his career and 56.6 percent of his 205 punts have been more than 50 yards or pinned inside the 20 yard line.
Van Der Kamp and the Cyclones will open their season Aug. 31 against Northern Iowa at Jack Trice Stadium, where Iowa State has a school-record 13 consecutive games with over 50,000 fans in attendance.
2013 Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List
Steven Clark (Sr.), Auburn
Pat O’Donnell (Gr.), Miami (Fla.)
Darragh O’Neill (Jr.), Colorado
Will Monday (So.), Duke
Trent Tignor (Sr.), East Carolina
Kyle Christy (Jr.), Florida
Richie Leone (Sr.), Houston
Justin Duvernois (Jr.), Illinois
Kirby Van Der Kamp (Sr.), Iowa State
Anthony Melchiori (So.), Kent State
Landon Foster (So.), Kentucky
Tyler Williams (So.), Marshall
Colter Johnson (Sr.), Massachusetts
Tom Hornsey (Sr.), Memphis
Mike Sadler (Jr.), Michigan State
Ben Skaer (Sr.), New Mexico
Cayle Chapman-Brown (Sr.), New Mexico State
Thomas Hibbard (Jr.), North Carolina
Keith Kostol (Jr.), Oregon State
Cody Webster (Sr.), Purdue
Harrison Waid (Sr.), San Jose State
Mike Loftus (Jr.), SMU
Ethan Perry (So.), TCU
Hunter Mullins (Jr.), UAB
Michael Bowlin (Sr.), Washington
