COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (Nov. 18, 2021) – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) tabbed sophomore punter Justin Dwinell as the Special Teams Player of the Year, as announced by the league Thursday morning. Colorado State University Pueblo football had four players named to the First Team All-RMAC while seven chosen to the Second Team and three to Honorable Mention.
 
Dwinell (Colorado Springs, Colo.) is the second Special Teams Player of the Year for the Pack since the 2008 reboot. His 43.13 yards per punt marked a career high over the course of 56 punts and ranked him sixth in the nation. His 38.39 net yards per punt ranked seventh in the nation on the year.
 
Junior Elijah Reed (OL, Aurora, Colo.) was the sole offensive player to earn First Team All-RMAC for the Pack as he helped lead the line to be one of the most protective offenses in the league by allowing a conference-low 24 sacks. 
 
Senior linebacker Trevor Philio (Denver, Colo.) and senior defensive lineman Ikenna Onwuasoanya (Houston, Texas) racked up two First Team All-RMAC honors on the defensive side of the ball. 
 
Philio closed out his senior season as the Pack's leading pass rusher with career-highs of 10 sacks while he tallied 15.5 tackles for loss, five pass break-ups, five quarterback hurries, two fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles.
 
Onwuasoanya was a senior transfer who led the defensive line's suffocating presence throughout the season. The lineman tallied nine sacks, 17.5 tackles for loss, and 46 total tackles while he tacked on three hurries on the opposing quarterbacks.
 
Seven more Pack athletes earned All-RMAC Second Team nods. Running back Michael Roots (Sr., Sacramento, Calif.), offensive lineman Jonah Stupar (Jr., Pueblo, Colo.), and wide receiver Nick Williams(Jr., Aurora, Colo.) represented the offense on the All-Conference Second Team.
 
The dominant defense was well-represented on the All-Conference Second Team. Senior cornerback Marcus Lawrence (Aurora, Colo.), linebacker Max Gonzales (Jr., Aurora, Colo.), safety Cory McLellan (So., Monument, Colo.), and defensive end Dominick Fini (So., Colorado Springs, Colo.) clinched the Second Team honors.
 
Rounding out the All-Conference honors were three Pack players earning 2021 RMAC Football Honorable Mention awards. Tight end Preston Guerra (Sr., Peoria, Ariz.), linebacker Patrick Howell (Sr., Pearland, Texas), and defensive lineman Trey Botts (Jr., Aurora, Colo.) earned the Honorable Mention award from the conference.
 
CSU Pueblo's 11 honors on the first and second teams is tied for the most in the conference, with RMAC champion, Colorado School of Mines claiming 11 as well.
 
The ThunderWolves finished their season Nov. 13 at Western Colorado with a 14-7 loss. 

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR - Justin Dwinell
All-RMAC First Team Special Teams … RMAC Special Teams Player of the Year … Earned D2Football.com Player of the Week and RMAC Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 5) … Started all 11 games as the CSU Pueblo punter … Averaged 43.13 yards per punt to log a career high to rank sixth in the nation … Averaged 38.39 net yards per punt and ranked seventh in the nation on the year … Notched a career-high 71-yard punt at Grand Valley State … Landed 21 punts inside the 20 off 56 total punts … Notched a conference-high 16 punts over 50 yards … Totaled 2,415 yards off punts this season to claim the second-most in the conference.
 
ALL-RMAC FIRST TEAM BIOS
 
OFFENSE
Elijah Reed
All-RMAC First Team Offense … Started all 11 games at left tackle … The Pack ranked first in the conference in sacks allowed at 14 on the season (1.27 per game) … CSU Pueblo averaged the second-most yards per carry (4.7) in the RMAC … The ThunderWolves averaged the fourth-most yards per play on the season in the league (5.7).
 
DEFENSE
Ikenna Onwuasoanya
All-RMAC First Team Defense … Started all 11 games on the defensive line … Led the RMAC with 17.5 tackles for loss totaling 84 yards off 14 tackles being solo (1.59 TFL per game) … Logged the third-most quarterback sacks in the RMAC with nine … Notched at least 2.0 tackles for loss in five games and tacked on three games with 2.5 tackles for loss … Totaled 46 tackles (22 solo) on the season … Tallied a career-high 2.5 sacks at Fort Lewis in just two quarters of play … Forced a fumble at New Mexico Highlands … Logged a season-high seven tackles against Texas A&M-Commerce and Colorado Mesa … Tallied three hurries on quarterback.
 
Trevor Philio
All-RMAC First Team Defense … Started all 11 games at linebacker … Earned NFFCC Player of the Week (Oct. 5) … Led the RMAC with 10 sacks (nine solo) to cause 76 lost yards … Totaled 15.5 tackles for loss to finish him third in the RMAC and second on the team … Caused 105 lost yards on the season to lead the RMAC … Forced three fumbles on the season to rank second in the RMAC … Notched a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss in win over Colorado Mesa (Oct. 2) … Also racked up a career-high 2.5 sacks against Colorado Mesa … Totaled five quarterback hurries, with three being against Colorado Mesa … Tied a career-high of five passes defended on the season … Ended season with career-highs in sacks, tackles for loss, total tackles, solo tackles, tackle assists, and quarterback hurries.