COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. --- The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference announced its major award winners for the 2019 track and field outdoor season along with the All-RMAC First and Second teams from its league office in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

South Dakota Mines landed four Hardrockers on the All-RMAC First Team and five were named to the All-RMAC Second Team. Erica Keeble, Kevin Ptak, Andrew Ferris and Westley Siebdrath all earned First Team honors while Kayla Gagen, Korder Cropsey, Ferris, Ptak and Jonathon Murray were listed on the RMAC Second Team.

"We were very happy to see these athletes get recognized for their accomplishments," said Hardrocker track and field head coach Steve Johnson. "They put in strong performances throughout the season and we're proud of what they got done.

Keeble, a sophomore, earned her spot on the All-RMAC first team after taking top honors in the women's pole vault at the RMAC Outdoor Championships, held in Rapid City, South Dakota, April 26-28. The De Pere, Wisconsin, native cleared a height of 12-feet-6.25 inches to earn the RMAC event title. That mark also set a new stadium record for the Computer Science and Applied Mathematics major.

Ptak had a stellar RMAC Outdoor Championships. He earned RMAC First Team honors in the men's 400 dash. After qualifying for the finals with the sixth-best time in the prelims (49.32), the Allen, Texas, native delivered his mark of the season, clocking a time of 48.78, to finish third. The junior Electrical Engineering major also earned RMAC Second Team accolades as a member of the Hardrockers' 4x400 relay team.

Ferris also earned RMAC First and Second Team honors. The sophomore from Lancaster, Ohio, made for the final of the 800 run after taking the last qualifying spot during the prelims, clocking a 1:55.068. The Civil Engineering major dug deep to post a third-place finish in the finals with a time of 1:54.71. Ferris was named to the RMAC Second Team also a member of the men's 4x400 team.

Siebdrath, a Civil and Environmental Engineering major earned a spot on the RMAC First Team after an outstanding performance in the men's hammer throw. The junior from La Quinta, California, turned in one of his top performances of the outdoor season at the conference championships, earning third place after registering a throw of 168-10.

The Hardrocker men's 4x400 relay team consisting of Cropsey, Ferris, Ptak and Murray was named to the RMAC Second Team after placing second at the conference championships in a time of 3:16.38. That mark also set a new school record for SD Mines.

Gagen was named the RMAC Second Team after placing sixth during the women's javelin throw. The junior Mechanical Engineering major from Livingston, Montana took sixth after a throw of 117-7, which was a season-best for her.
The 2019 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) outdoor track and field major award winners and all-conference selections were announced on Monday by the conference office.
   
On the men's side, Deshon Elcock from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs was named the Track Athlete of the Year. Chadron State's Isaac Grimes was tabbed the Field Athlete of the Year while Luke Julian from Colorado School of Mines was selected the Freshman of the Year. Coach Matt Sparks from Colorado School of Mines was named Coach of the Year.
 
For the women, Skylyn Webb from UCCS' was named the Track Athlete of the Year while the Oredigger's Gina Coleman earned Field Athlete of the Year. Kyla Sawvell from Black Hills State was tabbed the Freshman of the Year and Coach Ross Fellows from UCCS was selected as Coach of the Year.
 
The major awards were voted on by the conference's head coaches. First Team All-RMAC consists of the top three individual finishers from each event at the RMAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the first-place relay teams. Second Team All-RMAC consists of the fourth, fifth and sixth place individual finishers, along with the second-place relay teams.
 
Elcock showed his speed at the Outdoor Championships as he was not beaten in an individual race. Elcock took first in both preliminaries of the 100-meter dash and 200-meter dash before taking the titles in each. He crossed the line in the 100-meter final in 10.60 and took the 200-meters in a time of 21.40. He then helped UCCS to a second-place finish in the 4x100-meter relay.  
 
Grimes, who earned the Field Athlete of the Year during the Indoor Track & Field season as well as both the Field Athlete of the Year and Freshman of the Year after the 2018 outdoor season. At this year's Championship he soared in the long jump winning with a leap of 24' 10" which was just over nine inches ahead of second place.
 
The Orediggers' Luke Julian qualified first in the 1500-meter run then showed exactly why he earned that taking first in the finals after making his move with two laps to go and finished with a time of 3:55.89.
 
For Webb, she has continued her excellent RMAC career earning the Track Athlete of the Year for the second straight year in both the indoor and outdoor seasons. Webb twice crossed the line this year as an RMAC champion. In the 800-meters she finished in a time of 2:14.55 and then took home the title in the 1500-meter run by clocking a 4:34.71 which was three seconds ahead of 2^nd place.
 
Coleman, who was named the 2018 Outdoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year had another stellar year for the Orediggers. She dominated the throws taking first in both the discus and hammer. In the discus she won by over 16 feet recording a throw of 154' while winning by over eight feet in the hammer with a best throw of 165' 1". Colman then took third in the shot put with a mark of 42' 11.5".
 
Kyla Sawvell had a very impressive championship finishing second in three different events. In the shotput she recorded a throw of 45' 10.75" while finishing with a best throw of 138' 11" in the discus. She finished out the meet with a mark of 157' 11" in the hammer throw.
 
Colorado School of Mines' Matt Sparks and UCCS' Ross Fellows earned Coach of the Year honors after their teams won their respective team titles. The Orediggers earned their second straight men's team championship while the Mountain Lions captured its first outdoor title in team history.
 
Men's Major Award Winners
Track Athlete of the Year – Deshon Elcock, UCCS
Field Athlete of the Year – Isaac Grimes, CSC
Freshman of the Year – Luke Julian, CSM
Coach of the Year – Matt Sparks, CSM
 
Women's Major Award Winners
Track Athlete of the Year – Skylyn Webb, UCCS
Field Athlete of the Year – Gina Coleman, CSM
Freshman of the Year – Kyla Sawvell, BHSU
Coach of the Year – Ross Fellows, UCCS