By: Tim Flynn
COLORADO SPRINGS - Austin DeVoe is the Coach of the Year and regular-season champion Colorado School of Mines landed five all-RMAC honorees on the conference's season-end awards announced Thursday.
Jakob Smith earned First-Team All-RMAC honors at 165 pounds while four Orediggers took Second-Team All-RMAC accolades:
Christian Lopez (125 lbs.),
Grayston DiBlasi (141 lbs.),
Wyatt Reisz (174 lbs.), and
Ryan Cody (197 lbs.) in addition to DeVoe's major award.
DeVoe earns Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his career after guiding the Orediggers to a perfect 7-0 RMAC record and 13-2 overall in duals, earning the program's third RMAC regular-season title since 2019. Mines ran the table in the RMAC for only the second time despite missing multiple starters at different points through the season due to injury; the Orediggers are #16 in the latest NWCA team poll.
Smith, a redshirt sophomore, earns his first career all-RMAC nod after going 6-0 against the conference at 165 pounds this season. Smith is 11-4 overall with four wins by fall, and racked up an impressive 4.5 points per RMAC dual win including a key pin against Colorado Mesa in the conference-deciding dual and bonus points vs. CSU Pueblo and Adams State.
Lopez, a redshirt senior, earns all-RMAC honors for the second consecutive season after a terrific final campaign has him 16-6 on the season. The 125-pounder went 5-1 through the RMAC schedule and owns three wins over NWCA-ranked opponents this season as he appeared at #11 in the latest poll.
DiBlasi will graduate as a four-time all-RMAC selection as he is 20-4 overall this season at 141 pounds. The senior went 5-1 against the RMAC as he stands at 93 career wins, third-most all-time at Mines, with 26 pins, fifth-most. DiBlasi has been ranked in every NWCA poll this season, appearing most recently at #4.
Reisz, a sophomore, is all-RMAC for a second consecutive year after earning Freshman of the Year honors last year. Reisz was an unbeaten 5-0 at 174 pounds against the RMAC and 19-3 overall, and did not lose in any dual at 10-0. He was 3-1 against NWCA-ranked opponents and was #14 in the last NWCA poll.
Cody, a redshirt junior, earns Second-Team All-RMAC honors for the second consecutive season as he is 12-6 overall and was 3-0 against the RMAC. Cody, ranked #12 in the latest NWCA poll, co-leads Mines with five pins this season including the team's fastest in 25 seconds.
Mines has this weekend off as they prepare for the NCAA Super Region VI Championship in Gunnison on March 1.