Adams State Sweeps May’s RMAC Athlete of the Month Honors

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – June 6, 2011 – Adams State College swept the final Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Athlete of the Month awards for 2010-2011.  Outdoor track and field student-athletes Drew Graham and Cassie Mitchell were selected as the RMAC May Athletes of the Month.  The league’s sports information directors nominate the student-athletes that are then selected by the league office.

Graham concluded the 2011 outdoor track & field season by earning an all-American double for the second straight season and tallying 16 team points for the national runner-up Grizzlies while winning the individual national crown in the 1500 meter run. Ranked fourth nationally in the event, Graham topped the field in the 1500 with a time of 3:56.03. Just 80 minutes later, Graham toed the starting line for the 800 meter final. An indoor 800 meter all-American this past March, Graham placed third in 1:52.47 for his third all-American effort outdoors in the event. His efforts helped the Grizzlies to equal their best-ever NCAA Division II team finish at the outdoor national championships. Graham also earned a pair of All-RMAC and USTFCCCA All-Region honors during the month. Graham was a two-event First Team All-RMAC performer, as he placed second in the 800 (1:54.05) and took the league 1500 title (3:54.58) to help Adams State take the team title by 38 points. He was also named to the all-region squad in both events. Graham also earned his NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 1:50.44 in the 800 meters at the May 1 Payton Jordan Invitational in Stanford, Calif., which at the time ranked second in Division II.

Mitchell won her first national championship taking the title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase.  She clocked a personal-record time of 10:20.53, moving up into seventh place on the all-time NCAA Division II performers list (all meets).  Earlier in the month, she won both the 800 and 1,500 meter titles at the RMAC Championships, setting a new stadium record in the 1,500 (4:39.85).  Mitchell also finished third in the steeplechase at the RMAC meet, won by fellow All-American teammate and RMAC Freshman of the Year Kelly Lamb.  She scored 26 team points at the meet helping ASC to an eighth straight team title.  At the national meet, the Grizzlies finished third in the team standings, the highest finish of any RMAC squad.  Mitchell is now a seven-time All-American and 10-time All-RMAC honoree.  She also had a good month academically, earning First Team Academic All-RMAC honors (her third such honor this year) and picked up Second Team Capital One Academic All-District honors.  Mitchell has a 3.87 cumulative GPA.

May’s Top Men’s Performers
Greg Anderson, Mesa State (Baseball)
Bryant Ansicar, Regis (Baseball)
Russell Drummond, Colorado Mines (Track & Field)
David Fox, Metro State (Baseball)
Brad Gamble, Chadron State (Track & Field)
David Goodman, Western State (Track & Field)
Drew Graham, Adams State (Track & Field)
Jake Kresse, Nebraska-Kearney (Baseball)
Gavin Lyons, Fort Lewis (Golf)
Emmanuel Mensah, Western New Mexico (Tennis)

May’s Top Women’s Performers
Faylyn Beyale, Western New Mexico (Golf)
Julia Diehl, Metro State (Softball)
Nikki Haberkorn, Regis (Softball)
Jennifer Hilts, Mesa State (Golf)
Jessica Horsley, Chadron State (Track & Field)
Macy Jones, Colorado Mines (Softball)
Lauren Kleppin, Western State (Track & Field)
Cassie Mitchell, Adams State (Track & Field)

2010-11 RMAC Athletes of the Month
May
Drew Graham, Adams State – Outdoor Track & Field
Cassie Mitchell, Adams State – Outdoor Track & Field
April
Dane Tobey, Nebraska-Kearney – Outdoor Track & Field
Kelly Unkrich, Colorado Mines – Softball
March
Donovan McMahill, Western State – Wrestling
Indira Spence, Adams State – Indoor Track & Field
February
Lauren Graham, UC-Colorado Springs – Indoor Track & Field
T.J. Hepburn, Nebraska-Kearney – Wrestling
January
Reggie Evans, Metro State – Basketball
Dana Schreibvogel, Fort Lewis – Basketball
December
Brandon Birdsong, Adams State – Cross Country
Lauren Kleppin, Western State – Cross Country
November
Jeri Walkowiak, Nebraska-Kearney – Volleyball
Ben Zywicki, Colorado Mines – Cross Country
October
Tesho Akindele, Colorado Mines – Soccer
Christine Schmelzle, Fort Lewis – Soccer
September
Issa Bissau, Metro State – Soccer
Faylyn Beyale, Western New Mexico - Golf