FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Thursday, April 28, 2016 Women’s Basketball steals the show at 4th Annual Buzzies
Taking home six major awards in MSUB’s 4th annual Buzzies award show Thursday night, the Yellowjacket women’s basketball team is recognized as the top performer among the department for the 2015-16 season. BILLINGS, Mont. – Taking home six major awards at Thursday night’s Fourth-Annual Buzzie Awards Ceremony, the Montana State University Billings women’s basketball team was recognized as the top program within the department during the 2015-16 academic year. The ESPYs-style awards show, designed to recognize the top individual and team performances from all of MSUB’s 15 men’s and women’s varsity sports, was held at Petro Theater for the fourth straight year. Yellowjacket women’s basketball junior Alisha Breen and men’s cross country and track and field senior Robert Peterson claimed the Female and Male Athlete of the Year awards, respectively. Breen led the Great Northwest Athletic Conference with 17.4 points per game this season, and was a first-team all-league selection. Peterson won GNAC titles in the indoor mile and as part of MSUB’s distance medley relay team, and represented the Yellowjackets at the NCAA Division II National Championships for the second straight year.
Kevin Woodin, who earned GNAC Coach of the Year for the second time in the last three years, and who piloted both MSUB’s women’s basketball team and men’s and women’s golf teams, was voted as the 2015-16 Coach of the Year. His women’s basketball team, which reached the NCAA West Region Championships for the second time in the last three years, was selected as the Team of the Year Thursday evening as well. MSUB men’s basketball star Preston Beverly, who won GNAC Freshman of the Year honors, was the Freshman of the Year, and GNAC-leading scorer Ricardo Palomino of MSUB’s men’s soccer team was tabbed as the department’s Newcomer of the Year. Both the Breakout Player of the Year and Comeback Player of the Year came from the Yellowjacket women’s basketball team, as sophomore Marissa Van Atta and senior Janiel Olson earned those awards, respectively. MSUB freshman golfer Scott Larson earned the Moment of the Year award, after hitting a hole-in-one on the very first swing of his collegiate career last September. The Yellowjacket men’s soccer team’s dramatic, 3-2 come-from-behind victory while facing a 2-0 halftime deficit and playing down a player in the second half, earned Game of the Year honors. The match was played on MSUB Kicks Cancer Day in honor of the late Trevor Wildberger, and Palomino lifted the team to the win with a second-half hat trick against Concordia. The women’s basketball team also received the Yellowjacket Award, honoring a program or individual for outstanding service and/or community involvement on behalf of the department. The 10th year of MSUB’s Think Pink Night, which was featured as the first-ever ROOT SPORTS Game of the Week hosted at MSUB, earned the women the honor. Seniors Cameron Lee (men’s soccer) and Blair Street (women’s track and field) were honored as the MSUB StudentAthlete Advisory Committee award winners, and MSUB baseball senior left-handed pitcher Drew Christina, who holds a 4.0 GPA while studying chemistry, was tabbed as the Scholar Athlete of the Year. Graduating senior Aaron Selig, who has served as the official photographer for MSUB Sports over the past two years, was honored for his work by receiving MSUB’s Support Staff Student of the Year honor. A full listing of nominees and award winners, including each team’s player of the year, can be found below. Overall Awards Female Athlete of the Year Alisha Breen – Women’s Basketball (Winner) Katlyn Lokay – Women’s Soccer Della Lyle – Women’s Track & Field Kortney McNeil – Women’s Golf Kyndal Williams – Volleyball Male Athlete of the Year Ricardo Palomino – Men’s Soccer Robert Peterson – Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field (Winner) Luke Reinschmidt – Baseball Women’s Basketball junior Alisha Breen was selected as the Female Athlete of the Year for the 2015-16 academic year.
Freshman of the Year Preston Beverly – Men’s Basketball (Winner) Kortney McNeil – Women’s Golf Kaelen Shay – Men’s Track & Field Janessa Williams – Women’s Track & Field Alycia Wright – Women’s Soccer Newcomer of the Year Tiana Hanson – Women’s Basketball Della Lyle – Women’s Track & Field Ricardo Palomino – Men’s Soccer (Winner) Michael Porter – Men’s Golf Nikki Tiffany – Softball Matt Winter – Men’s Cross Country Breakout Player of the Year Adam Cox – Baseball Emmanuel Johnson – Men’s Basketball Senior Robert Peterson (center) was named the Male Athlete of the Year for the 2015-16 academic year. Myrissa Prince – Softball Jessica Spang – Women’s Soccer Marissa Van Atta – Women’s Basketball (Winner) Comeback Player of the Year Bryon Baker – Baseball Elizabeth Howard – Women’s Soccer Janiel Olson – Women’s Basketball (Winner) Garret Robinson – Men’s Soccer Game/Event of the Year MEN’S BASKETBALL – 17 made 3-pointers in home rout of Alaska Anchorage (Feb. 9, 2016) MEN’S SOCCER – Come-from-behind 3-2 win after 2-0 halftime deficit & down one player (Oct. 17, 2015) (Winner) SOFTBALL – Broke team record for hits in a game with 23 vs. WWU (March 26, 2016) WOMEN’S BASKETBALL – GNAC tourney semifinal win over Western Washington to clinch NCAA berth (March 4, 2016) WOMEN’S GOLF – Yellowjackets set MSUB record for single-round score at NCAA Preview Meet (Sept. 28, 2015) WOMEN’S SOCCER – 1-0 win over Central Washington to clinch GNAC tournament berth (10/31/2015) Moment/Play of the Year BASEBALL – Corey Morris diving play to end Game 3 at Saint Martin’s (April 3, 2016) MEN’S BASKETBALL – Emmanuel Johnson Senior Night with Dad (Feb. 27, 2016) MEN’S GOLF – Scott Larson hole-in-one on first collegiate stroke (Sept. 14, 2015) (Winner) MEN’S SOCCER – Fernando Perez’s goal to win home game against NNU 1-0 (Oct. 15, 2015) MEN’S TRACK & FIELD – Distance Medley Relay team wins GNAC Indoor Championships title (Feb. 19, 2016) SOFTBALL – Bella Rovens robs grand slam at home against Western Washington (March 25, 2016) VOLLEYBALL – Winning Set 3 38-36 over Rocky Mountain College in exhibition match (Sept. 1, 2015) WOMEN’S BASKETBALL – Janiel Olson breaks MSUB career rebounding record (Feb. 27, 2016) WOMEN’S GOLF – Shealyn Hafer hits a hole-in-one (Oct. 5, 2015) WOMEN’S SOCCER – Alycia Wright game-winning goal against CWU to clinch GNAC tourney berth (10/31/2015)
WOMEN’S TRACK & FIELD – Della Lyle 4th in 3,000 meters & 7th in 5,000 meters at GNAC Indoor Championships (Feb. 20, 2016)
Individual Team Player of the Year Awards Baseball Cody Cooper (Winner) Kyle Durbin Luke Reinschmidt Men’s Basketball Preston Beverly Emmanuel Johnson (Winner) Marc Matthews Men’s Cross Country Garrett Love Robert Peterson (Winner) Matt Winter Men’s Golf Scott Larson Connor Miele (Winner) Michael Porter Men’s Soccer Tom Lohmann Ricardo Palomino (Winner) Julian Toenges Men’s Track & Field Austin Lindquist Robert Peterson (Winner) Nate Vanderby Softball Cameron Cassinelli
Cori Gammon Heather Tracy (Winner) Volleyball Audri Marrs Ashlynn Ward Kyndal Williams (Winner) Women’s Basketball Alisha Breen (Winner) Monica Grimsrud Janiel Olson Women’s Cross Country
Taylor Condon Brielle Davis Rio Frame (Winner) Women’s Golf Anna DeMars Bailee Dexter Kortney McNeil (Winner) Women’s Soccer Kari Kastelic Katlyn Lokay (Winner) Dana Lubieniecki Women’s Track & Field Della Lyle (Winner) Amanda Nichols Janessa Williams