2010 RMAC May Athletes of the Month

Metro State’s Tara Mickelson and Nebraska-Kearney’s Dane Tobey Named RMAC May Athletes of the Month

Colorado Springs, Colo. – June 4, 2010 - The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference instituted an awards program to recognize outstanding performances by student-athletes throughout the league by honoring student-athletes each month. The league's sports information directors nominate the student-athletes that are then selected by the league office. This month's award winners for May 2010 are Metro State’s Tara Mickelson (softball) and Nebraska-Kearney’s Dane Tobey (track & field).   This is the final awards announcement for the 2009-10 academic year.

Mickelson, a senior from Wheat Ridge, Colo., led Metro State to a 17-3 record in May, including the school’s first-ever trip to the NCAA Division II College Softball World Series.  She batted .369 in 20 games in May, including 10 home runs and 27 runs batted in as she grabbed hold of the NCAA single season lead in home runs with 25 for the year and finished third in the nation in RBIs.  During May, she hit safely in 18 games and extended her career-long hitting streak to 16 games.  Mickelson also scored 17 runs with five doubles.

She helped the Roadrunners post the best record in RMAC history of 37-2, hitting a home run in the final three regular season games at Chadron State and one more in the first game of the RMAC Tournament against Nebraska-Kearney.  In the RMAC championship game, she hit the game-winning home run. 

Mickelson had a key walk in game one of the Super Regional against Wayne State (Neb.), setting up teammate Jennessa Tesone’s walk-off, two-run home run.  She continued her clutch hitting at the World Series, belting two home runs in the tournament and driving in four runs, hitting .333 in four games.  Her home run against No. 1 North Georgia broke a 1-1 tie and gave the Roadrunners a 4-1 victory.

For her clutch performances, Mickelson was named to the RMAC All-Tournament team and the NCAA All-Tournament team.  She also became Metro State’s only two-time All-American in softball, earning Daktronics second team honors, and was a first team All-RMAC selection after leading the nation in home runs this season.

Tobey, who garnered RMAC Athlete of the Month accolades for April, won the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field national shot put title on May 29 with a school-record toss of 62-7.25, breaking his own record of 610.25, set on May 10^.  He also placed ninth in the discus while becoming the third Loper man to win a national title at the Division II level.  At the RMAC Championships earlier in May, Tobey won the shot and discus and also scored team points in the hammer and javelin.  Those points helped UNK win its first-ever RMAC outdoor team title.

The junior from Waco, Neb. was named the United State Track & Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Field Athlete of the Year, Central Region Field Athlete of the Year, and RMAC Field Athlete of the Year.  His six Division II All-American honors are the most ever by a UNK male student-athlete.

2009-10 RMAC Athletes of the Month
May: Tara Mickelson, Metro State & Dane Tobey, Nebraska-Kearney
April: Christie Robinson, Metro State & Dane Tobey, Nebraska-Kearney
March: Aaron Braun, Adams State & Allison Rosel, Fort Lewis
February: Mike Dominguez, Mesa State & Sarah Moore, Colorado Mines
January: Josh Hensley, Adams State & Kaitlin Petri, Chadron State
December: David Barden, Fort Lewis & Brecca Gaffney, Colorado Mines
November: Bri Morley, Metro State & Reuben Mwei, Adams State
October: Rustin Dring, Nebraska-Kearney & Kayla Mitchell, Colorado Mines
September: Adam Saur, Colorado Mines & Nikki Scott, Nebraska-Kearney