2011 RMAC All-Academic Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Seven members of the Fort Lewis College football team earned Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference All-Academic accolades, RMAC Assistant Commissioner Eric Danner announced today.

“I'm very happy for these individuals,” said second-year FLC head coach Cesar Rivas-Sandoval. “It's very difficult to balance athletics, academics, and a social life in college. It's a tribute to their work ethic on and off the field.

“As a program, we've placed a huge emphasis on academics,” added Rivas-Sandoval. “We're hoping that in years to come, we'll see our numbers on the academic team to continue to grow. We're recruiting student-athletes with a high academic standard. Hopefully this is just the beginning.”

Phil Odell, a 6-foot, 200-lb. linebacker from Show Low High School in Show Low, Ariz., was FLC's lone selection on the RMAC All-Academic first team. For Odell, who carries a 3.47 grade point average in Business Administration-Management, it marked a repeat performance on the RMAC All-Academic first team after he earned the same honor as a sophomore a year ago.

Odell ranks among RMAC leaders in the RMAC in fumbles recovered (second, two, 0.29 per game), tackles for loss (fifth, nine TFLs, 33 yards in losses, 1.29 per game), tackles (sixth, 57 total, 30 solo, 8.1 per game), and sacks (eighth, three, 25 yards in losses, 0.43 per game). A three-year starter, he's ranked among league tackling leaders in each of his three seasons at FLC.

Three others — punter Frank Atherton, running back Justin Peters, and offensive lineman Evan Wagstrom — were named to the RMAC All-Academic second team.

And three more players — offensive lineman Brent Baker, wide receiver Doyle Bode, and wide receiver Aaron Holt — received RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll distinction.

Atherton, a 6-foot-3, 170-lb. senior from Hawaii Prep in Kamuela, Hawaii, carries a perfect 4.00 grade point average in Exercise Science-Exercise Specialist option. No stranger to academic awards, he earned second team CoSIDA/ESPN Academic All-District 7, second team RMAC All-Academic, and D2 Athletic Directors Association/WeatherPORT Academic Achievement awards as a junior in 2010. He also earned the latter as a sophomore.

Atherton ranks eighth in the RMAC in punting with a 37.8 average in 2011. He averaged 41.3 yards per punt a year ago.

Peters, a 5-foot-10, 190-lb. senior from Hamilton High School in Chandler, Ariz., has a 3.60 GPA in Cellular and Molecular Biology. He earned RMAC All-Academic first team honors last fall and is a two-time recipient of the D2 Athletic Directors Association/WeatherPORT Academic Achievement award.

A multi-purpose threat who has seen action at quarterback, running back, and wide receiver during his career, Peters has rushed 14 times for 50 yards, caught eight passes for 78 yards, and completed two of four passes for 49 yards during his senior campaign.

Wagstrom, a 6-foot-4, 255-lb. offensive lineman from Glenwood Springs High School and Silt, Colo., maintains a 3.96 GPA in European History. A two-year starter on the Skyhawk offensive line, he previously earned the D2 Athletic Directors Association/WeatherPORT Academic Achievement award in 2010.

Baker, a 6-foot, 260-lb. sophomore from Fairview High School in Boulder, Colo., has a 3.40 GPA in Business Administration-International Business. He was named to the RMAC All-Academic Honor Roll for the second year in a row.

Bode, a 5-foot-11, 190-lb. sophomore from Catalina Foothills High School in Tucson, Ariz., carries a 3.42 GPA in Exercise Science-Sport Administration. He Started and appeared in all 10 games for the Skyhawks. He ranked second on the team in receiving yards (387) and third in receptions (36) as a true freshman, when he was a full-time starter. He's added 15 catches for 100 yards this season, starting six of seven games.

Holt, a 5-foot-11, 175-lb. sophomore from Rio Rancho High School in Rio Rancho, N.M., has a 3.75 GPA in History/Social Studies Teacher Education. He's caught one pass for six yards this fall after grabbing two passes for 18 yards as a true freshman in 2009. Holt, who redshirted last year, previously earned the D2 Athletic Directors Association/WeatherPORT Academic Achievement award in 2010.

To qualify for Academic All-RMAC, student-athletes must have a GPA of 3.30 or better, be a starter or reserve, and completed two consecutive semesters or three quarters at their current institution. The student-athlete's cumulative GPA is what they had earned prior to football season beginning. RMAC sports information directors selected first and second teams.

The Skyhawks (2-5 overall, 1-4 in the RMAC) return home Saturday, where they'll host Adams State (4-3, 2-3) at 1 p.m. at Ray Dennison Memorial Field. The game is the annual musket game between the two schools, with seniors from the winning team earning the right to fire the Springfield .45-70 rifle after the game.

The Skyhawk Booster Club will also hold a tailgate party in Skyhawk Gardens, located in the northeast corner of Dennison Field, from 11 a.m. through the end of the third period. Food from the Balcony Bar & Grill will be sold, along with beverages from Coca-Cola of Durango, A&L Coors, and Steamworks Brewing Co.