COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – University of Hawai'i junior slot receiver John Ursua was named to the All-Mountain West first team as selected by a panel of media and head coaches.
 
Junior defensive lineman Kaimana Padello was picked to the second team while five others received honorable mention – senior defensive lineman Zeno Choi, junior cornerback Rojesterman Farris II, sophomore quarterback Cole McDonald, senior linebacker Jahlani Tavai, and freshman offensive lineman Solo Vaipulu.
 
Tavai was the lone repeat honoree having been selected to the first team in 2016 and second team in 2017. The senior from Inglewood, Calif., had his season cut short due to injury, missing the final four games but still finished among the team leaders in tackles (82). He was the team's defensive MVP for the second straight year.
 
Ursua was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award and midseason second-team All-American by the Associated Press and USA Today. The All-American candidate is the FBS leader in receiving touchdowns (16) and ranks fifth nationally in receiving yards (1,343). Over the weekend, he received the Alec Waterhouse Most Valuable Player award at the Na Koa football banquet.
 
The Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i native is the first UH offensive skill position player selected to the MW first team and just the second offensive player joining Dejon Allen (2017). Ursua is also just the sixth Rainbow Warrior to receive first-team honors since UH joined the league in 2012.
 
Padello leads the Warriors in sacks (7.5) and tackles-for-loss (11.5). The Mililani, O'ahu native also recorded 22 tackles with one forced fumble and was the recipient of the team's Ben Yee Most Inspirational Player award.
 
McDonald, the team's offensive MVP, has thrown for 3,790 yards and 35 touchdowns on the year and ranks among the nation's Top 10 in six categories. Choi, a senior from Honolulu and the team's Defensive Captain recipient, has 34 tackles on the year, including 5.0 for loss and two sacks. Farris, a junior from Coral Springs, Fla., ranks fourth in the MW in passes defended (0.92/game) while Vaipulu, a freshman from Riverside, Calif., is one of four true freshman nationally to start every game of the season.
 
The Rainbow Warriors concluded the regular season with an 8-5 mark, including a runner-up finish with a 5-3 in the MW's West Division.