Maui’s Nichols earns all-Mountain West first-team honors after breakout season
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The Maui News
Former Maui High School standout Tristan Nichols, a senior defensive end for the University of Nevada, was named to the All-Mountain West Conference First Team on Tuesday after finishing the regular season as the conference sacks leader with 10.0.
It marked a career high for the graduate student from Kihei. The 2021 season was a breakout year for the edge rusher that included a single-game career-high three sacks against Idaho State and a season-high five tackles at Colorado State to close the regular season.
Nichols, who graduated from Saint Louis School after spending his first three years of high school at Maui High, recorded 28 total tackles, 10.0 of which were sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss. Nichols also forced two fumbles and posted five quarterback hurries.
In 2020, he had a pair of sacks in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl, which earned him a spot on the 2020 ESPN All-Bowl team. He has 16 sacks in 29 career games for the Wolf Pack (8-4).
Two defenders made the all-MWC first team from the University of Hawaii: junior linebacker Darius Muasau and senior defensive back Khoury Bethley.
Senior wide receiver Calvin Turner and senior DB Cortez Davis were both named to the second team from UH.
Honorable mention selections from UH included: DL Jonah Laulu; OL Kohl Levao, Ilm Manning and Micah Vanterpool; and WR Nick Mardner.