FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DATE: November 15, 2007
CONTACT: Jeff Duggan, SID
E-MAIL: jduggan@mines.edu

Orediggers land 14 on 2007 All-RMAC football teams;
Schiechl named Freshman Defensive Player of the Year

GOLDEN, Colo. - A grand total of 14 student-athletes from the Colorado School of Mines football team have earned post-season honors from the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, as announced today by the RMAC.

Earning First Team All-RMAC laurels were Derek Dykstra, Stephen Immel, Drew Ferren and Marin Richardson. Kevin Folly-Kossi, Hunter Wardlaw and Marc Schiechl were Second Team All-RMAC selections while David Pesek, Adam Saur, James Tyree, James Reeves, Aaron Abel, Nick Haniszewski and Blaine Sumner garnered Honorable Mention All-RMAC recognition.

Dykstra, a 6'3", 200-lb. senior wide receiver from Seibert, Colo. (Hi-Plains H.S.), concluded the 2007 regular season with 43 receptions for 715 yards (16.6 ypc) and a team-most six touchdown catches. For his career, Dykstra has 161 receptions for 2,035 yards (12.6 ypc) and 13 touchdowns. The recipient of Second Team All-RMAC recognition last year and an Honorable Mention All-RMAC selection in 2005, Dykstra also has 19 career punt returns for 145 yards (7.6 ypr). Dykstra has also served as a kickoff returner and long snapper during his career at Mines.

A 6'6", 330-lb. senior right guard from Richardson, Tex. (J.J. Pearce H.S.) and a four-year starter at Mines, Immel earned recognition on the 2007 Pre-Season All-RMAC team after helping to pave the way for the Orediggers' first 1,000-yard rusher since 1939 during his junior season. In 2004, Immel helped to anchor a CSM offense that led the nation in passing.

Ferren, a 6'3", 205-lb. junior safety from Lyons, Colo. (Lyons H.S.), led CSM and tied for fifth in the RMAC with three interceptions in 2007. Ferren, who had one blocked kick this fall, is ranked second on the team in pass break-ups, third in solo tackles (31) and fourth in total tackles (59).

Richardson, a 6'2", 250-lb. senior defensive end from Colorado Springs, Colo. (Mitchell H.S.), finished second on the Orediggers, third in the RMAC (tied) and 12th in the nation with 8.0 sacks in 2007. Richardson was fourth on the team in tackles for a loss (8.5) and eighth in total tackles (tied - 37) during the regular season. Richardson, who recorded 18 carries for 31 yards as a short-yardage running back in 2007, also tied for fourth on the team in scoring this fall (24 points). Richardson, who earned Second Team All-RMAC honors in 2005 & 2006 and was chosen as the RMAC's Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2004, is also two-time NFF Second-Team All-Colorado selection.

A 5'9", 180-lb. junior cornerback from Abidjan, Ivory Coast, Folly-Kossi (32 total tackles; 22 solo tackles) led CSM with eight passes defended in 2007. Folly-Kossi, who also led Mines in blocked kicks with three, guided an Oredigger defensive secondary that limited opposing quarterbacks to a 49.6 completion percentage this year.

Wardlaw, a 6'2", 210-lb. sophomore linebacker from Broomfield, Colo. (Broomfield H.S.), led CSM in assisted tackles (56) and registered a team-second-best 77 total tackles (21 solo). Wardlaw also amassed 6.0 tackles for a loss, 3.5 sacks, three passes defended, two fumble recoveries, one interception and one forced fumble this fall. Even more, Wardlaw finished 10th in the RMAC in tackles per game (7.0) during his second year at Mines. Wardlaw led a CSM defense that finished third in the RMAC in rushing defense (87.5 ypg) and total defense (292.1 ypg) in 2007. In 2006, Wardlaw garnered Honorable Mention All-RMAC and Honorable Mention NFF All-Colorado accolades.

Schiechl, a 6'3", 220-lb. redshirt freshman defensive end from Lakewood, Colo. (Bear Creek H.S.), established a new individual single-game school record with 4.0 sacks in CSM's 28-0 shutout victory at New Mexico Highlands University on October 6th. Schiechl, who is ranked second in the RMAC and second in the nation in sacks (13.0), was selected as the 2007 RMAC Defensive Freshman of the Year. Schiechl (45 total tackles in 2007) is also ranked first on the team and second in the RMAC in tackles for a loss (16.5).

A 6'3", 185-lb. sophomore quarterback from Centennial, Colo. (Arapahoe H.S.), Pesek amassed a 123.79 QB rating and completed 62.6 % of his passes (248-for-396) for 2,699 yards and 15 touchdowns during the 2007 regular season. Pesek led the RMAC in total offense (249.6 ypg) and passing (245.4 ypg) in 2007.

A 6'3", 190-lb. sophomore wide receiver from San Antonio, Tex. (Clark H.S.), Saur led the Orediggers in receptions with 44 in 2007. The owner of four touchdown catches this fall, Saur also averaged 14.8 yards per reception.

Tyree (6'1", 260-lbs., senior, right tackle, Corpus Christi, Tex. / W.B. Ray H.S.) and Reeves (6'2", 240-lbs., senior, left tackle, Denver, Colo. / Machebeuf H.S.) helped to anchor an Oredigger offense that led the RMAC in passing at 247.8 yards per game this fall.

Abel, a 6'0", 185-lb. senior place-kicker from Cheyenne, Wyo. (Cheyenne East H.S.), is the all-time leading scorer in the history of Colorado School of Mines football (257 career points). Abel converted 7-of-13 field goal attempts and all eight of his PAT tries in 2007. A First Team All-RMAC and Second Team NFF All-Colorado selection as a junior, Abel garnered Second Team All-RMAC laurels following his freshman and sophomore seasons. Abel, who was a Pre-Season All-RMAC selection in 2006 and 2007, earned Third Team All-Southwest Region honors following his junior year. Abel was selected as a Pre-Season All-American by Don Hansen's National Football Gazette in 2006, as well. For his career, Abel has connected on 143-of-151 extra point tries (94.7 %) and 38-of-58 field goal attempts (65.5 %). Furthermore, Abel holds CSM records for single-season extra points made (64) and career extra points made (143).

A 6'2", 205-lb. sophomore linebacker from Honey Creek, Iowa (Roncalli Catholic H.S.), Haniszewski led CSM in solo tackles (39) and total tackles (94) in 2007. Haniszewski, who finished second on the Orediggers in assisted tackles (55) and seventh in the RMAC in tackles per game (8.5), compiled 10.0 tackles for a loss, six passes defended, 4.0 sacks and two blocked kicks this year.

Sumner, a 6'2", 320-lb. redshirt freshman nose tackle from Morrison, Colo. (Conifer H.S.), finished third on the team and seventh in the RMAC (tied) with 6.5 sacks in 2007. Sumner also recorded 32 total tackles (14 solo) and 7.0 tackles for a loss. Sumner scored a touchdown on his lone carry as a short-yardage running back in 2007, as well.

The Orediggers (7-4 overall) will face the Western Oregon University Wolves (8-2 overall) in the 22nd Annual Dixie Rotary Bowl on Saturday, December 1st, in St. George, Utah. Kickoff is slated for 12:00 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time) at Hansen Stadium on the Dixie State College campus. The Orediggers went 6-2 in the RMAC this fall and secured their sixth winning season in the past seven years. The 2007 Dixie Rotary Bowl marks the second time in four years that the Colorado School of Mines football team has advanced into the post-season.

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

- OREDIGGERS -