Cross Country Football Men's Soccer Volleyball Women's Soccer
Indoor Track & Field Men's Basketball Swimming & Diving Women's Basketball Wrestling
Baseball Golf Outdoor Track & Field Softball

Staff Directory Athletic Training Department Information Directions & Parking Facilities Hall of Fame Listen Live on M.I.R. Live Stats Oredigger Fight Song (The Mining Engineer) Press Releases Recreational Sports RMAC Sportsmanship Statement Silver & Blue Associates Summer Camps Tickets Harry D. Campbell Football Field New CSM Wrestling Room Clear Creek Project Give to CSM Athletics

[Printer Friendly]
Dec 30, 2009

CSM football lands 11 on NFF All-Colorado teams; Saur and Schiechl garner Player of the Year honors


GOLDEN, Colo. - Eleven student-athletes from the Colorado School of Mines football team have been named to the 2009 National Football Foundation All-Colorado teams, as announced today by the NFF - Colorado Chapter media relations office.

Earning First Team NFF All-Colorado honors were Kyle Goracke, Zach Meints, David Pesek, Adam Saur and Marc Schiechl.  Nick Haniszewski, Brandon Joy, Blaine Sumner, Ben Tiller, Alex Vigil and Evan Woody garnered Second Team NFF All-Colorado recognition.  Furthermore, Saur was selected as the NFFCC Offensive Player of the Year and Schiechl was named NFFCC Defensive Player of the Year.

A 6'3", 200-lb. junior defensive back from Tecumseh, Neb. (Tecumseh Public High School), Goracke earned First Team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) accolades and was a two-time RMAC Defensive Player of the Week selection (October 19th, November 9th) this season.  Goracke, who also garnered Pre-Season All-RMAC honors prior to the start of the 2009 season, finished the year ranked second in the RMAC in total passes defended (14) and passes broken up (tied - 10), third in interceptions (tied - four) and 18th in both tackles per game (6.6) and total tackles (tied - 73).  Goracke also finished second on the team in solo tackles (tied - 37).

Meints, a 6'2", 275-lb. senior offensive lineman from Cortland, Neb. (Norris High School), earned First Team All-RMAC, Pre-Season All-RMAC and Pre-Season First Team All-RMAC (d2football.com) honors in 2009.  A First Team Academic All-RMAC selection this fall, Meints also earned CoSIDA / ESPN The Magazine Second Team Academic All-District recognition in 2009.  Meints helped to anchor a CSM offense that finished the season ranked first in the RMAC in passing offense (356.3 yards per game), and second in scoring offense (33.1 points per game), total offense (431.0 yards per game) and passing efficiency (148.7).

A 6'3", 200-lb. wide receiver from San Antonio, Texas (Clark High School), Saur established a new single-season program record for touchdown receptions (15) in 2009.  Saur tied a CSM single-game record with 14 receptions while establishing career highs in receiving yards (216) and touchdown receptions (four) in the Orediggers' season-ending victory over NMHU.  A First Team All-RMAC, Pre-Season All-RMAC and Pre-Season First Team All-RMAC (d2football.com) selection, Saur was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week and NFFCC Player of the Week on September 21st before going on to earn RMAC Male Player of the Month (all sports) recognition for September.  Saur finished the season ranked first in the RMAC in receiving yards (1,219), touchdowns (15) and receiving yards per game (110.8), second in receptions (84), third in receptions per game (7.6), scoring (8.2 points per game) and points scored (90), and eighth in all-purpose yardage (110.8 yards per game).  Saur, who averaged 14.5 yards per catch in 2009, departs the CSM football program ranked first in the Orediggers' career record book in touchdown receptions (32).  Saur has accepted an invitation to play in the 2010 Valero Cactus Bowl, which is the annual NCAA Division II all-star football game.  The Valero Cactus Bowl will be played on Friday evening, January 8th, 2010, at 6:35 p.m. (CST) at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas (on the campus of Texas A&M University - Kingsville).

Schiechl, a 6'3", 255-lb. junior defensive lineman from Lakewood, Colo. (Bear Creek High School), earned First Team All-RMAC, RMAC Defensive Player of the Year and RMAC Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year laurels in 2009.  Schiechl also garnered Pre-Season First Team All-American honors from d2football.com and Lindy's, as well as Pre-Season All-American recognition from The Sporting News and Consensus Draft Services (CDS), prior to the 2009 season.  Schiechl, who had 58 total tackles this fall, led the Orediggers with five quarterback hurries.  Schiechl finished third in the RMAC in both fumble recoveries (tied - two) and tackles for a loss (tied - 13.0), as well as fourth in both sacks (7.0) and tackles per game by defensive linemen (5.3).  Schiechl is CSM's all-time career leader in sacks with 34.0.

A 6'2", 215-lb. sophomore linebacker from Arvada, Colo. (Faith Christian High School), Vigil earned First Team All-RMAC honors in 2009 while leading the RMAC in solo tackles (tied - 45).  Additionally, Vigil finished second in the RMAC in forced fumbles (tied - three), third in total tackles (tied - 90), fourth in tackles per game (tied - 8.2) and 16th in tackles for a loss (tied - 9.0).  Vigil, who had one quarterback hurry, was credited with one sack and one pass defended.

A 6'2", 225-lb. senior linebacker from Honey Creek, Iowa (Roncalli Catholic High School), Haniszewski earned Second Team All-RMAC, Pre-Season All-RMAC and RMAC Defensive Player of the Week (October 26th) honors in 2009.  Haniszewski finished first on the team and second in the RMAC with 13.5 tackles for a loss, second on the team and 13th (tied) in the RMAC in sacks (4.5), fifth on the team and 26th in the RMAC in total tackles (67) and 28th in the RMAC in tackles per game (6.1).  Haniszewski concluded the 2009 campaign with five passes defended - including one interception - and tied for second on the squad in quarterback hurries (four).  Haniszewski had one fumble recovery and one forced fumble during his final season in an Oredigger uniform.

Joy, a 6'1", 270-lb. senior offensive lineman from Castle Rock, Colo. (Douglas County High School), was a Second Team All-RMAC selection in 2009.  Joy helped guide the CSM offense to a #1 ranking in the RMAC in passing offense (356.3 yards per game).  The Orediggers also finished the season ranked second in the RMAC in scoring offense (33.1 points per game), total offense (431.0 yards per game) and passing efficiency (148.7).

Pesek, a 6'3", 210-lb. senior quarterback from Centennial, Colo. (Arapahoe High School), was one of 24 regional finalists for the 2009 Harlon Hill Trophy (NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year).  A Second Team All-RMAC selection, Pesek was selected as the NFFCC Player of the Week on two occasions (October 26th, November 9th) this season.  Furthermore, Pesek was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week (November 9th) after becoming the first single-game 500-yard passer in school history (506 yards) during Mines' season-ending victory over New Mexico Highlands University on November 7th.  Earlier this fall, Pesek, who completed 277-of-425 passes (only six interceptions) while starting all 11 games, was named to 2009 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team® and was featured on the NCAA on Campus television show (CBS College Sports).  Pesek was named Pre-Season RMAC Offensive Player of the Year and Pre-Season First Team All-RMAC (d2football.com) prior to the 2009 season.  Pesek led the RMAC in passing yards per game (321.0), passing touchdowns (28), passing yards (3,531), completion % (65.2; 277-of-425) and total offense (314.9 ypg).  Pesek, who was featured in a story by Woody Paige in The Denver Post on November 8th, also finished second in the RMAC in passing efficiency (153.88).  The President of CSM's Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Pesek departs the CSM football program ranked first in the Orediggers' career record book in pass completions (799) and pass attempts (1,253), as well as second in school history in passing yards (9,159), touchdown passes (65) and completion percentage (63.8).  Pesek will be featured in an Allstate AFCA Good Works Team video tribute that will be televised during halftime of the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Friday, January 1st, 2010 (6:00 p.m. MST on FOX).

A 6'2", 315-lb. junior defensive lineman from Conifer, Colo. (Conifer High School), Sumner recorded 33 total tackles and 7.0 tackles for a loss in 2009 while earning Second Team All-RMAC recognition.  Sumner, who had two quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery, finished 13th in the RMAC in tackles per game by defensive linemen (tied - 3.0) and 19th in sacks (tied - 4.0).  Sumner also had six carries for 13 yards and two touchdowns in 2009.

A 6'0", 190-lb. senior defensive back from Fort Worth, Texas (Fossil Ridge High School), Tiller was a Second Team All-RMAC pick in 2009.  Tiller finished the season ranked 10th in the RMAC in total passes defended (tied - nine).  Tiller, who concluded the 2009 campaign with 34 total tackles, also finished 14th in the RMAC in interceptions (tied - two).  Tiller averaged 21.9 yards on 18 kickoff returns and 8.2 yards on six punt returns in 2009.

Woody, a 6'4", 280-lb. junior offensive lineman from Austin, Texas (McCallum High School), earned Second Team All-RMAC honors in 2009.  Woody was a member of a CSM offense that finished the season ranked first in the RMAC in passing offense (356.3 yards per game), as well as second in scoring offense (33.1 points per game), total offense (431.0 yards per game) and passing efficiency (148.7).

The Orediggers went 8-3 overall (8-1 RMAC - second place) this fall to secure their eighth winning season in the past nine years.  CSM also placed nine student-athletes on the 2009 Academic All-RMAC football teams.

-- OREDIGGERS --