Its only appropriate to recognize greatness as it stands right in front of you, or walks in the same academic halls as you.
We thought we would honor the end of the semester by taking the time to acknowledge the athletes of CMU who have surpasses all expectations set for them and made their year memorable in more ways than one.
Eystin Salum-Football
CMU football did not have the season they planned for. The tragic passing of teammate Brett Ojiyi at the beginning of the year and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year is what this season will be remembered for; however, Salum retired as a Maverick as one of the best passers in program history.
The Denver native surpassed Jake Logue for most career passing yards in CMU history when the Mavericks defeated Adams State in the 64-63 overtime thriller on Nov. 3. Salum accumulated 5,672 yards passing in his career and had 2,356 on the season as well as 17 touchdowns.
Salum is also known for his legs and he proved it by racking up 755 yards and 11 touchdowns off of 166 attempts.
Peter Anderson-Football
For every great quarterback, there is always a great wide receiver. Salum’s favorite target for the last two years had to be Peter Anderson.
The CMU speed demon only stands at 5’10 and weighs 155 pounds, however, what he lacks for in size he makes up in agility and acceleration. The Eaglecrest graduate made history with Salum in the same game against Adams State when he broke the single-season records for receptions and receptions yards.
In 2018 alone, Anderson caught 67 passes for 1,344 yards and 11 touchdowns. He was second in the RMAC in reception yards behind only Chad Hovasse from Adams State.
Anderson, along with seven other Mavericks, received All-RMAC honors while the wide receiver made the first team with Antonio Clark and Damar’ren Mitchell.
Kasie Gilfert-Volleyball
Accolades can be great recognition for players who had stellar seasons, even if their teams weren’t the last ones standing. Kasie Gilfert, the redshirt sophomore volleyball standout who received much more than two accolades, is in the conversation for the best single-season campaign in CMU volleyball history.
The 2016 graduate from Legend High School and Division I transfer from Northern Arizona did her best impression of an MVP. Gilfert set records and made numerous prestigious lists, etching her name into the record books while guiding a Maverick team that won the 2018 RMAC Tournament Championship.
As a middle blocker, Gilfert recorded 413 kills (first in the RMAC), 3.69 per set, and set a school record with 123 blocks. She led all of Division II with a .451 hitting percentage and was a force from the right side, helping the Mavericks achieve a 24-7 record and a berth to the second round of the NCAA Division II South Central Region Tournament.
The list of accolades goes on for Gilfert: American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II First-Team All-America squad, RMAC Player of the Year, MVP of the RMAC Tournament, Division II South Central Region Player of the Year, Three RMAC Player of the Week honors, and a nice addition with AVCA’s National Player of the Week.
It’s hard to say if a season like this will be repeated at CMU. Maybe Gilfert doubles up in her junior or senior seasons. No matter what happens, no one will be able to take this body of work away from Gilfert.
Kevin Del Mazo/James McGhee-Men’s Soccer
With the men’s soccer team having so many contributors, it wouldn’t be fair to single out just one player. Del Mazo and McGhee were consistent forces in their senior season and ended up with some late-season hardware for their outstanding play.
Del Mazo and McGhee were named to the United Coaches NCAA Division II Men’s All-American Team. McGhee was a Second Team All American while Del Mazo made the Third Team. As representatives of CMU on the lists, it put the final stamp on two great and storied collegiate careers.
Del Mazo passed Moshe Perez and broke the school assists record, ending his career with 28. Del Mazo, whose soccer playing days started in Santiago, Chile, scored seven goals in 2018 with an RMAC-leading 10 assists. The senior helped guide the Mavericks to the RMAC Championship game but fell short. The Mavericks did win an RMAC Championship in 2016, so Del Mazo does have one title under his belt.
McGhee, the fierce defender who was a stonewall all season, scored six goals this season, the most he’s scored in any season at CMU. He added two assists and anchored a Maverick defense that was third in the RMAC with 1.02 goals against average per game.
Both players were named to D2CAA First Team All-Region, United Coaches All-Region First-Team, and First-Team All-RMAC.
Playing with such consistency for four years is difficult at any level. When thinking about excellence at the college level, the play of these two seniors will be a prime example.
