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Jul 10, 2009

Orediggers ranked second in 2009 Pre-Season RMAC Coaches Poll; Pesek, Schiechl garners Pre-Season Player of the Year honors


GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines is ranked second in the 2009 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Pre-Season Football Coaches Poll, as announced today by the RMAC.

The Orediggers, who received three of the 10 first-place votes, also landed seven players on the 2009 Pre-Season All-RMAC Team, including David Pesek, who was selected as the Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year, and Marc Schiechl, who was named Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year.

Joining Pesek on the Pre-Season All-RMAC Offense were Zach Meints and Adam Saur while Kaleb Anderson, Kyle Goracke and Nick Haniszewski joined Schiechl on the Pre-Season All-RMAC Defense.

Anderson, a 6'3", 237-lb. junior defensive lineman from Littleton, Colo. (Bear Creek High School), recorded 51 total tackles (18 solo) and was third on the team in sacks (3.5) while starting all 12 games last year.  Anderson, who was also fourth on the squad in tackles for a loss (7.0), finished the 2008 campaign with three quarterback hurries, two pass break-ups and one forced fumble.

A 6'3", 189-lb. junior defensive back from Tecumseh, Neb. (Tecumseh Public High School), Goracke finished second on the team in solo tackles (40) and interceptions (four) in 2008.  Goracke, who was also fifth on the team in total tackles (tied - 68), had 4.0 tackles for a loss, one sack, eight pass break-ups, three quarterback hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery while starting nine of his 12 games played last fall.

Haniszewski, a 6'2", 220-lb. senior linebacker from Honey Creek, Iowa (Roncalli Catholic High School), started all 12 games last season and finished second on the team in total tackles (74), tackles for a loss (14.0) and sacks (5.0).  Haniszewski, who was third on the team with 37 solo tackles, had three fumble recoveries, two forced fumbles, two pass break-ups and one quarterback hurry during his junior year.  Haniszewski, who was also selected to the Pre-Season All-RMAC Defense in 2008, earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors last season on September 6th.

A 6'2", 275-lb. senior offensive lineman from Cortland, Neb. (Norris High School), Meints started all 12 games at left guard in 2008.  A member of the CSM offense that finished third in the RMAC in scoring (34.8 points per game), passing (232.2 yards per game) and passing efficiency (131.1), Meints helped pave the way for the sixth-leading rusher in the RMAC last year (former Oredigger Corey Huck).  A unanimous First Team Academic All-RMAC pick last fall, Meints also garnered First Team All-RMAC and First Team NFF All-Colorado laurels in 2008.

Pesek, a 6'3", 200-lb. senior quarterback from Centennial, Colo. (Arapahoe High School), garnered First Team All-RMAC and NFF All-Colorado honors while starting all 12 contests in 2008.  During his junior season, Pesek finished first in the RMAC in total offense (244.2 ypg) and second in passing (222.7 ypg), completion percentage (63.9) and passing yards (2,672).  Pesek completed 243-of-380 passes and threw for an RMAC-second-best 21 touchdowns last fall.  A two-time RMAC Offensive Player of the Week selection (September 20th, October 11th) in 2008, Pesek was also selected as the NFF - Colorado Player of the Week on October 11th.  As a sophomore in 2007, Pesek earned Honorable Mention All-RMAC recognition while leading the RMAC in total offense (247.0 ypg) and passing (243.9 ypg).

A 6'3", 190-lb. senior wide receiver from San Antonio, Tex. (Clark High School), Saur earned NFF All-Colorado and Third Team All-Super Region #3 (Don Hansen's Football Gazette) accolades in 2008.  Saur, who led the RMAC in touchdown receptions (13), overall touchdowns scored (13) and points scored (78) in 2008, also finished first on the team and third in the RMAC in receptions (69) last fall.  Saur also concluded the 2008 season ranked fourth in the RMAC in both receptions per game (5.75) and receiving yards (898), fifth in receiving yards per game (74.8) and seventh in scoring (6.5 ppg).  Saur, who averaged 13.0 yards per reception a season ago, also garnered First Team All-RMAC honors.  A one-time RMAC Offensive Player of the Week selection and one-time NFF - Colorado Player of the Week honoree in 2008, Saur's 13 touchdown receptions established a new individual single-season CSM record.  Saur earned Honorable Mention All-RMAC recognition as a sophomore in 2007.

A 6'3", 250-lb. junior defensive lineman from Lakewood, Colo. (Bear Creek High School), Schiechl has also garnered Pre-Season All-American honors from d2football.com (First Team), Lindy's (First Team), The Sporting News and Consensus Draft Services for the 2009 season.  Schiechl, a Third Team All-American selection by Don Hansen's Football Gazette in 2008, also earned Second Team All-Super Region #3 (Don Hansen's Football Gazette), Super Region #3 Second Team Defense (Daktronics) and National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame - Colorado Chapter First Team All-Colorado accolades a season ago.  Schiechl led the RMAC and finished second in the nation in sacks (13.5) while starting all 12 games last fall.  Schiechl's 13.5 sacks tied his individual single-season CSM record that he established as a redshirt freshman in 2007, and his 21.0 tackles for a loss in 2008 were tops in the RMAC and third (tied) in the nation.  Even more, Schiechl's 21.0 tackles for a loss established a new individual single-season CSM record, breaking his own mark of 17.5 that he set 2007.  A First Team All-RMAC selection in 2008, Schiechl is now Mines' all-time career leader in sacks with 27.0.  Schiechl, who led CSM with four quarterback hurries in 2008, finished fourth on the team with 69 total tackles (34 solo) during his sophomore campaign.  A Pre-Season Second Team All-NCAA Division II (from Lindy's Magazine) and Pre-Season All-RMAC selection in 2008, Schiechl was selected as the 2007 RMAC Defensive Freshman of the Year.  Schiechl, who established a new individual single-game CSM record with 4.0 sacks on October 6th, 2007, finished third in the nation and second in the RMAC in sacks per game (1.13) en route to earning Second Team All-RMAC, NFF First Team All-Colorado and Second Team All-Southwest Region honors in 2007.  Schiechl was a member of the 2007 CSM defense that led the nation (NCAA Division II) in sacks per game (4.67) and established a new single-season CSM team record for quarterback sacks (56).  Schiechl also earned CSM's Newcomer of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2007.

The Orediggers went 7-2 in the RMAC last fall and secured their seventh winning season in the past eight years (8-4 overall).  CSM's second consecutive trip to the Dixie Rotary Bowl in 2008 marked the fourth time in program history that Mines had competed in a bowl game.  The 2008 Dixie Rotary Bowl also marked the third time in five years that Mines had advanced into the post-season.  A grand total of 10 Orediggers earned recognition on the 2008 All-RMAC teams, including six First Team selections.  Furthermore, Mines landed 16 players on the 2008 Academic All-RMAC football teams.

The Orediggers are scheduled to begin their 2009 season on Saturday, August 29th, hosting Washburn University in a non-conference NCAA Division II game at 12:00 p.m. (MDT) at Brooks Field in Golden.

For more information, please visit http://www.csmorediggers.com or contact CSM Sports Information Director Jeff Duggan at jduggan@mines.edu.

-- OREDIGGERS --