A dozen Fort Lewis College football players received all-conference recognition, including three first-teamers, when the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference released its All-RMAC teams Tuesday afternoon.
The Skyhawks defense led the team all season, and eight of the 12 players to receiver post-season honors played on the defensive side of the ball.
Sophomore defensive tackle George Marpaung, sophomore punter Max Peets and junior safety Donell Pleasant III earned first-team honors.
Marpaung recorded 21 tackles for the Skyhawks this season, 7½ of which went for a loss, and had a fumble recovery.
Peets averaged 41.4 yards per punt this season and pinned the opposition inside the 20-yard line 22 times.
Pleasant recorded 65 tackles, forced a fumble and had four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns.
Defensive end Christopher Blanton, cornerback Dre Cortez, inside linebacker Isiah Mayberry, kicker Ben Raybon, outside linebacker Darrian Stickney and defensive end OJ Thompson earned second-team honors.
Offensive lineman Jeff Brinkley, running back Tyler Telphy and safety Daniel Walker were named honorable mentions.
The Skyhawks are set to return 10 of the 12 players to earn All-RMAC honors, as Thompson and Walker are the only seniors to receive the recognition.
Colorado Mesa University swept the offensive, defensive and special teams player of the year awards. Eystein Salum was the offensive player of the year, Blake Nelson was the defensive player of the year and Virnel Moon was the special teams player of the year.
South Dakota Mines’ Brandon Labrie was named freshman offensive player of the year, and New Mexico Highlands’ Terrence Jackson Jr. was the freshman defensive player of the year.
CSU-Pueblo’s John Wristen was named coach of the year.
FLC sophomore Kayla Herrera was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week after the opening week of the college basketball season.
Herrera averaged a double-double – 11 points and 11 rebounds – in the Skyhawks’ wins against the University of Texas-Permian Basin and Eastern New Mexico University at the Conference Challenge hosted by FLC during the weekend.
She also had three steals against UTPB and four against ENMU and blocked one shot against the Greyhounds.
FLC’s Megan Graefe and Maddie LaBlanc were named All-RMAC honorable mentions for volleyball.
Graefe, a junior libero, led the RMAC with 5.25 digs per set this season, and had 10 matches in which she recorded 20 digs. She also had 58 assists and 12 service aces.
LaBlanc, a junior middle blocker, notched 69 blocks this season and had at least one block in 23 of the Skyhawks 26 matches. She also recorded 222 kills.
Regis University cleaned up the individual awards. Nikki Kennedy was named player of the year and defensive player of the year, Caitlyn Burroway was named freshman of the year and Joel List was named coach of the year. Colorado School of Mines’ Marian Hansen was named setter of the year.
kschneider@durangoherald.com
