COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Three Colorado Mesa men's lacrosse players picked up major awards, leading a total of 17 Maverick players on the All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference teams. Dylan Checketts was named Freshman of the Year, joined by Hunter Holcomb as the Attacker of the Year and James Steinke taking home Midfielder of the Year to headline the CMU contingent. After leading the team to and undefeated conference record and their fourth regular season championship, Vince Smith was named Coach of the Year.

In his first season with the Mavericks, Checketts stepped into the face-off lineup and finished the season with a 78-109 record. His .716 face-off percentage put him atop the conference rankings, while picking up 49 ground balls for a 4.45 per game average, third best in the RMAC. Recording time in all 11 games, his finished with three flawless face offs records and caused a turnover against Colorado College.

Holcomb in his true freshman finished second on the team in goals with 18, along with 14 assists to rack up 32-points, to land on the All-RMAC First Team. The Carver, Minnesota native played in all 11 games, scoring in 10 of them with a season high 5-goals in the first meeting with Adams State. That performance was amidst an 8-game scoring streak. He finished the season targeting 30 shots on goal for a .612 percentage, and converted on four man-up opportunities.

Steinke garnered Midfielder of the Year and All- RMAC First Team honors aiding in the Maverick offense with 12 goals and 15 assists. The redshirt sophomore also picked up 18-ground balls and caused three turnovers. He held a 6-game scoring streak, producing four – 2-goal games. His four assists in an Adams State game led to a 6-point performance and a season high.

Joining Holcomb and Steinke on the All-RMAC First Team was Jed Brummett, Sergio Pelayo, Tanner Stopkoski, Brian Buckner, Cole Emmanuel, Jake Eickelman and Drew Eickelman.

Brummett led the team with 19-goals, four coming on man-up possessions. He played in seven games, making four starts and put together a pair of five goal games against Shorter (3/12) and Westminster (4/30). He closed out the season on a 4-game scoring streak, putting together two goals in the RMAC semi and championship matches.

Pelayo was another standout Maverick freshman, getting field time in all 11-games and making his first collegiate start at Westminster on April 2. He tickled the twine 11 times, while dishing out a team leading 16-assists. In the regular season finale his tied the school record with five assists, adding two goals in that outing for 7-points.

Stopkoski made nine starts in 11 games played as a defenseman for the Mavs. His 18 ground balls, was tied for seventh most on the team, and his nine caused turnovers was second. He put together six ground balls and three caused turnovers in the RMAC Tournament to be named to the All-Tournament Team.

Buckner was another member of the defensive line, causing eight turnovers and collecting five ground balls in his final season in 11 games. In the RMAC Championship he put together three ground balls and caused two turnovers, and was key in the team ranking as high as No. 2 in scoring defense in all of Division II.

Denver native, Cole Emmanuel was in on over 100 faceoffs and recorded 74 wins for a .712 percentage. He took home the nod for Defensive Player of the Week twice, bagging 47 ground balls and four goals – two of which came against CSU Pueblo, where he also tallied an assist.

As a long stick midfielder, Jake Eickelman was named to the All-RMAC First Team playing a key role in the Mavericks 9-game win streak and regular season title. Throughout the season he collected 26 ground balls, produced eight games with multiple ground balls and caused seven turnovers. He recorded his first collegiate assist versus Adams State on April 25, where the team defeated the Grizzlies 23-3.

Twin brother Drew Eickelman joins the First Team as a short stick defensive middie. The redshirt freshman was in on six goals and seven assists, while also stealing 28 ground balls and causing 10 turnovers on the defensive end. He was in on two faceoffs, winning both for a unblemished record. In the April 9 outing against Adams State he collected eight ground balls and caused three turnovers, both season highs.

Six Mavericks landed on the All-RMAC Second Team in AJ Switzer, Carson Schwark, Jake Keyes, Deandre Ross, Nolan Hoffman, and Vinny Curci.

Switzer finished his second season with the Mavs with a double-double behind 13 goals and 14 assists. He took a total of 54 shots, 34 targeted toward between the goal frame for a .607 shot percentage. Against Adams State on April 9, he tallied a hat trick, to go along with two assists for a 5-point performance.

Veteran, Carson Schwark racked up 17 goals for his team in nine games played, with five multiple goal games. He netted four goals against Alabama Huntsville, and then matched that performance against Colorado College. In the overtime win against the Tigers he was behind the assist, finding Blake Amiatu for the game winning goal. He finished that outing with three assists for seven points.

Keyes was one of eight players with double-figure goals, recording two hat tricks and a season high four goals in the April 25 win over Adams State. That same day he got in on three assists, marking both a season high in assists and points with seven, earning him RMAC Offensive Player of the Week. With 14 goals, he ranked fifth on the team, each of the games he scored in being multiple goal performances.

Another pair of defenders in Deandre Ross and Vinny Curci earned their way on to the All-RMAC Second Team. Ross, a senior out of Danville, California scooped up nine ground balls, caused two turnovers and delivered his first collegiate goal early in the season against Shorter.

Curci made four starts, getting in on 10 games racking up 18 ground balls and seven caused turnovers over the span of this season. He picked up four ground balls in two outings, both of which were overtime games.

Rounding out the second team is goalkeeper Nolan Hoffman. Hoffman made seven starts in his second season, facing 150 shots and making 57 saves. He finished the season with a .640 save percentage, while also getting in on the ground ball game with 20. In the regular season finale that clinched the title for CMU, he captured six ground balls and caused two turnovers to aide in the victory.

Trent Pernell and Jacob Yordy picked up All-RMAC Honorable Mention honors to round out the team's 17 honorees.

Pernell came off the bench and contributed 16 goals and nine assists.  The attackmen out of Las Vegas, Nevada had his first four goal game against Colorado College, his second came in the RMAC semifinal over Adams State. He put together a hat trick in the RMAC Championship, finishing the tournament with seven goals and an assist to be named to the RMAC All-Tournament Team.

Yordy met opponents on the defense causing three turnovers, and collected 15 ground balls. Caused a turnover in the last three games of the season, and posted three games with three ground balls. He closes out his career scoring six goals, assisting on four others. He's caused 18 turnovers over his four years and amassed 64 ground balls.

The Mavericks capped off the 2021 season with a 9-2 record, going undefeated in conference play to capture their fourth RMAC Regular Season title in the last five outings.