Sports are back in full swing at Colorado Mesa University (CMU) and with fall sports coming to a close we wanted to highlight a few of the athletes that played in the fall.
These athletes have accomplished a great deal for their sports and have had a major impact on their teams and in our eyes are MVPs. This list includes athletes that compete in the fall months.
Connor Durant- Men’s Soccer: MVP
Game Saving.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Connor Durant has been the backbone of the men’s soccer team this season.
He had big shoes to fill after Brendan Brown graduated in the spring, and he successfully filled the role in the 2021 season.
Durant had a big role in the Mavericks win against Colorado School of Mines on Nov. 20, 2021 as he held the Orediggers to no goals in regulation and overtime. He then was able to block three out of the five penalty kicks to give the Mavericks the victory.
Throughout the season, he has helped the Mavericks to shutouts in 11 games, one of those being in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) tournament against RegisUniversity. He is fourth all-time amongst Maverick goaltenders in shutouts with 10.
He was named the RMAC goalkeeper of the year, all RMAC tournament team and first team 2021 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) Men’s Soccer All South-Central Region.
Ben Sampson- Men’s Swimming: Runner-Up
Record setting.
Words that can describe the season that redshirt freshman swimmer Ben Sampson has had so far this season, as he has been on top of his game in the pool.
Halfway through the 2021-2022 swim season, Sampson is swimming like he is competing at the NCAA meet already.
In the swim team’s most recent A3 Invitational, he helped lead the men’s team to their fifth win in the Invitational. He crushed the pool, meet and Maverick record in the 200-yard backstroke. He also became the fastest in DIvision II to swim the 100-yard backstroke in history.
Under the automatic qualifying time for NCAA championships, Sampson swam a 1:43.91 in the 200 yard freestyle.
Sampson won two individual and six overall events throughout the meet and was named the Male Swimmer of the Meet. He will be a staple for the Mavericks in the RMAC Championships and during Nationals.
Karst Hunter- Football: Honorable Mention
Career Defining.
Redshirt freshman quarterback Karst Hunter had a season that is going to set up his career at CMU.
Hunter was able to set up the Mavericks offense for big time plays that allowed them to score in big situations. He also helped the offense by being able to both run and throw the ball successfully.
In his first year at CMU, he broke records in passing yards (2,481), completion percentage (62.5%) and completions (190) all in a single season.
He helped the Mavericks to a 8-2 record which is the team’s best record since 2017 when they went 9-2.
Hunter ran the ball for 385 yards while scoring six touchdowns. On the other hand, he threw for 2,481. Through the ten games he played this season he only threw four interceptions which is the second best in the RMAC.
Hunter has a bright future ahead of him in the maroon and black.
