November 24, 1998
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV football program received three 1998 All-Western Athletic Conference selections and one major award, the league announced Tuesday.
Two Rebel seniors - defensive end Talance Sawyer and punter Joe Kristosik - were tabbed First-Team All-WAC while senior tight end Sam Mineo was named to the second team. Also, linebacker James Sunia was tabbed the Mountain Division's WAC Freshman of the Year.
Sawyer (6-2, 260, Bastrop, LA) led the WAC in tackles-for-loss with 22 for a loss of 66 yards. He led the team with four quarterback sacks while his 86 total tackles were second on the squad and 7.8 tackles per game were 19th in the league. Sawyer, who also was honored last season, was one of only four repeat first-team All-WAC selections in the division.
Kristosik (6-3, 220, Las Vegas, NV), who broke the school record with 76 punts in 1998, leads the nation in punting with an average of 46.2 yards per kick. A two-time WAC Special Teams Player of the Week, the Bishop Gorman High School graduate boomed 27 kicks 50 yards or longer, including eight that went at least 60 yards. He also completed one pass for a first down on a fake punt.
Mineo (6-3, 250, Redlands, CA) was a standout blocker while catching six balls for 55 yards and one touchdown. He also was a second-team selection in 1997.
Sunia (5-10, 245, Wianae, HI) led the Rebels with 115 total tackles and his 10.6 tackles per game were sixth in the league. He also had two quarterback sacks. The first UNLV freshman to be voted a team captain, Sunia also was a member of the nation's top punt coverage team and earned two first downs - one rushing and one receiving -- on fake punts this fall.
Pacific Division All-WACFirst TeamOffensePos Name School Ht. Wt. YearWR Damon Gourdine San Diego State 5-7 160 Jr.WR Daniel Jones Utah 5-11 182 Sr.TE Brian Natkin UTEP 6-4 250 So.OL *John Tait Brigham Young 6-7 290 Jr.OL Ken Foersch Fresno State 6-4 295 Sr.OL Rick Austin San Diego State 6-2 310 Sr.OL Mike Malano San Diego State 6-2 300 Jr.OL David Loverne San Jose State 6-3 297 Sr.QB *Graham Leigh New Mexico 6-3 214 Sr.RB Jaime Kimbrough Fresno State 5-8 205 Sr.RB Mike Anderson Utah 6-2 220 Jr.
DefensePos Name School Ht. Wt. YearDL Darren Yancey Brigham Young 6-6 285 Sr.DL *Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila SDSU 6-4 235 Jr.DL Brian Young UTEP 6-3 265 Jr.DL John Frank Utah 6-5 271 Jr.LB Rob Morris Brigham Young 6-2 250 Jr.LB Tim Skipper Fresno State 5-7 200 So.LB Kautai Olevao Utah 6-2 240 So.DB Brian Gray Brigham Young 6-2 205 Jr.DB Brian Urlacher New Mexico 6-4 235 Jr.DB *Lyle West San Jose State 6-0 201 Sr.DB Robert Love Utah 5-9 203 Sr.
SpecialistsPos Name School Ht. Wt. YearPK Ricky Bishop UTEP 5-10 188 So.P Jeff Roberts Fresno State 6-4 215 Sr.ST Damon Gourdine San Diego State 5-7 160 Jr.
*1997 All-WAC Selection
Individual AwardsOffensive Player of the Year -- Jaime Kimbrough, Sr., TB, Fresno StateDefensive Player of the Year -- Rob Morris, Jr., LB, Brigham YoungFreshman of the Year -- Jerome Haywood, DT, San Diego StateCoach of the Year -- Ted Tollner, San Diego State
Second Team
OffenseWR Martinez Williams, Jr., New MexicoWR *Oliver Newell, Sr., San Jose StateWR Jimmy Carpenter, Sr., UTEPWR Jerome Anderson, Sr., UtahOL Jason Carson, Jr., New MexicoOL Alan Gray, Sr., UTEPOL Josh Cochran, Sr., UtahOL Darren Walker, Sr., UtahOL Sam White, So., UtahQB Kevin Feterik, Jr., Brigham YoungRB Ronney Jenkins, So., Brigham YoungRB Jonas Lewis, Jr., San Diego State
DefenseDL Byron Frisch, Jr., Brigham YoungDL Jerry Lemon, Sr., Fresno StateDL *Pene Talamaivao, Sr., UtahLB Brad Martin, Sr., Brigham YoungLB Joey Mayo, Jr., San Diego StateLB Joe Tuipala, Sr., San Diego StateLB Jason Hooks, Sr., UtahDB Jason Walker, Sr., Brigham YoungDB Cory Hall, Sr., Fresno StateDB Rico Curtis, Jr., San Diego StateDB Eric Lewis, Sr., San Diego State
SpecialistsPK Owen Pochman, So., Brigham YoungP *Jason Bloom, Sr., New MexicoST Deonce Whitaker, So., San Jose State
Mountain Division All-WAC
First TeamOffensePos Name School Ht. Wt. YearWR Darran Hall Colorado State 5-11 180 Sr.WR Wendell Montgomery Wyoming 6-2 207 Jr.TE Julian Hooker Wyoming 6-4 238 Sr.OL James Norman Air Force 6-3 255 Jr.OL *Anthony Cesario Colorado State 6-6 305 Sr.OL Nike Newell Colorado State 6-4 290 Sr.OL *Charles Torello Rice 6-1 300 Sr.OL Jason Mills Tulsa 6-5 308 Sr.QB Blane Morgan Air Force 5-9 192 Sr.RB Rodnick Phillips SMU 6-0 205 Jr.RB Marques Brigham Wyoming 5-11 204 Sr.
DefensePos Name School Ht. Wt. YearDL Bryce Fisher Air Force 6-2 251 Sr.DL Joey Porter Colorado State 6-3 255 Sr.DL *Talance Sawyer UNLV 6-2 260 Sr.LB Craig Thorstenson Air Force 6-2 242 Jr.LB Rick Crowell Colorado State 6-3 235 Jr.LB Jason Simonton SMU 5-11 230 Jr.LB Joseph Phipps TCU 6-2 205 Sr.DB *Tim Curry Air Force 5-10 175 Sr.DB Myron Terry Colorado State 6-3 206 Sr.DB Jacoby Rhinehart SMU 5-11 190 Sr.DB Al Rich Wyoming 5-11 194 So.
SpecialistsPos Name School Ht. Wt. YearPK Chris Kaylakie TCU 6-1 190 So.P Joe Kristosik UNLV 6-3 220 Sr.ST Darran Hall CSU 5-11 180 Sr.
*1997 All-WAC Selection
Individual AwardsOffensive Player of the Year -- Blane Morgan, Sr., QB, Air ForceDefensive Player of the Year -- Bryce Fisher, Sr., DT, Air ForceFreshman of the Year -- James Sunia, LB, UNLVCoach of the Year -- Fisher DeBerry, Air Force
Second Team
OffenseWR Matt Farmer, Jr., Air ForceWR Wes Caswell, Sr., TulsaTE Sam Mineo, Sr., UNLVOL *Frank Mindrup, Sr., Air ForceOL Mike Roberts, Jr., Air ForceOL Blane Saipaia, Jr., Colorado StateOL Michael Keathley, So., TCUOL Russ Sanders, Sr., TCUOL Jeff Smith, Sr., WyomingQB Jay Stoner, So., WyomingRB Kevin McDougal, Jr., Colorado StateRB Basil Mitchell, Sr., TCURB LaDainian Tomlinson, So., TCU
DefenseDL Clark Haggans, Jr., Colorado StateDL Terrence Melton, Sr., RiceDL Aaron Schobel, So., TCUDL Jeff Boyle, So., WyomingLB Willie Taylor, Sr., Colorado StateLB Rashad Reynolds, Sr., RiceLB Brian Brown, Sr., WyomingDB LaDouphyous McCalla, Sr., RiceDB Reggie Hunt, Jr., TCUDB Todd Franz, Jr., TulsaDB Robbie Duncan, Jr., Wyoming
SpecialistsPK Derek Franz, Sr., Colorado StateP Deone Horinek, Jr., Colorado StateST Tim Curry, Sr., Air Force *1997 All-WAC Selection
