FARMINGTON, Utah (Oct. 7, 2024) – The Big Sky Conference announced its weekly honors for the past week of competition, as the first full week of October delivered on excitement for football, volleyball, soccer, cross country and golf.
Big Sky Football Players of the Week (Oct. 7, 2024)
Offensive Player of the Week: Richie Munoz, Weber State (QB, So., West Covina, Calif.)
Richie Munoz had a career game leading Weber State to a 55-48 overtime win at Montana. The sophomore was 19 of 28 passing for 364 yards and six touchdowns, both career highs. He had touchdown throws of 35, 6, 50, 53, and 71 yards in regulation, then had a seven-yard touchdown in the first overtime that gave the Wildcats the go-ahead score. Munoz is one of four players in all of Division I football to throw six touchdown passes in a game this season. It is also the most touchdown passes in a game by a Wildcat since 1993.
Co-Defensive Players of the Week: Garrett Beck, Weber State (LB, Sr., Meridian, Idaho)
Senior Garrett Beck led the Wildcat defense and had the winning play in Saturday's 55-48 overtime win at No. 8 Montana. On Montana’s first possession in overtime, Garrett had a strip sack and recovered the fumble that sealed Weber State’s win. He also tied for the Wildcat lead with eight tackles in the game, four being solos.
Co-Defensive Players of the Week: Jaxton Eck, Idaho (LB, So., Brookings, S.D.)
Jaxton Eck recorded a team-high 11 tackles and tallied his first-career interception with an 11-yard return. His performance helped Idaho hold Northern Arizona to just 17 points enroute to the 23-17 win over the 25th-ranked Lumberjacks. Idaho has held every opponent to 28 points or fewer and three of six opponents to 17 points or fewer despite playing four consecutive ranked opponents and a pair of FBS schools. Eck leads the Vandals with 45 total tackles so far this season.
Special Teams Player of the Week: Gabe Panikowski, Idaho State (K, Jr., San Diego, Calif.)
Gabe Panikowski hit a walk-off field goal to give Idaho State its first win at Cal Poly since 2003, as the junior was a perfect 2-for-2 on the day and made all five of his extra point attempts. Panikowski made field goals of 33 and 24, with the 24-yarder being the game-winner as time expired.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Football Player of the Week
Offense: Elisha Cummings (UI), Jeff Weimer (ISU), Keelan White (UM), Tommy Mellott (MSU), Dante Chachere (PSU), Miles Hastings (UCD)
Defense: Nathan Reynolds (ISU), Riley Wilson (WSU), Danny Uliulakepa (MSU), Tyreese Shakir (PSU)
Special Teams: Brendan Hall (MSU), Noah Kjar (WSU)
Big Sky Volleyball Players of the Week (Oct. 7, 2024)
Offensive Player of the Week: Jourdain Kamps, Montana State (OH, Gr., Ennis, Mont.)
Jourdain Kamps was the key cog in the Bobcat attack as Montana State knocked off Idaho State and Weber State on the road last week. In MSU's 3-2 win over Weber State, Kamps recorded a career-high 26 kills with a .382 attack mark. For the match, Kamps averaged 5.2 kills and 2.0 blocks per set. Against ISU on Thursday night, Kamps posted 20 kills, a .372 attack mark and five blocks. In the 10 sets, she totaled 46 kills (4.60 kps) and 15 blocks (1.50 bps) while hitting .378. Kamps also became the 18th member of Montana State's prestigious 1,000-kill club at Weber State. Her 1,019 career kills rank 17th in Bobcat history.
Defensive Player of the Week: Jordan Radick, Montana State (MB, Sr., Bradenton, Fla.)
Radick led a strong Bobcat block as MSU knocked off Idaho State and Weber State over the weekend. On Thursday night, Montana State out-blocked the nation's leading blocking team 18-12, and followed that by out-blocking Weber State 18-9. For the two matches and ten sets, the product of Bozeman, Mont., averaged 1.70 blocks per set. Radick registered one solo, and seven block assists against ISU, and had nine block assists against Weber State. The Bobcats had four players average 1.00 blocks per set or better on the weekend.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Volleyball Player of the Week
Offense: Bri Gunderson (EWU), Madu Fontes (UI), Jamie Streit (ISU), Maddie Pyles (UM), Syd Cole (UNC), Caitlin Volkmann (SAC)
Defense: Elle Bruegman (EWU), Miya Carmichael (UI), Asiah Sopo’aga (ISU), Brenley Hansen (UM), Isabel Bennett (UNC), Karlie Spohn (SAC)
Big Sky Cross Country Athletes of the Week (Oct. 8, 2024)
Men's XC Athlete of the Week: David Mullarkey (Sr., Leeds, England)
Crossing the finish line first for NAU at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational earns David Mullarkey Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors. This marks the second time Mullarkey has finished first for NAU this season. He finished fourth in the Blue 8K at Notre Dame this past Friday with a time of 22:36.9. He led the Lumberjacks to a second place team finish with 68 total points.
Women’s Athlete of the Week: Karrie Baloga (Fr., New Windsor, New York)
Leading the Lumberjack women to a team victory at the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational has earned Northern Arizona’s Karrie Baloga Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week honors. She finished seventh overall in the Blue 5K with a time of 16:16.2, navigating the ‘Jacks to a 32-point performance. In their victory they topped both No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 5 Brigham Young. The NAU women have won the team title in all three meets so far this year.
Others Nominated for Big Sky XC Athlete of the Week
Men’s: Carson Steckelberg (UM), Seth Babbel (ISU)
Women’s: Amanda Nygard (EWU), Abigail Case (UM), Cassandra Vasquez (ISU)
Big Sky Soccer Players of the Week (Oct. 8, 2024)
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Haylee Phoenix, Northern Arizona (F, Sr., Fontana, Calif.)
Haylee Phoenix rose to the occasion as the Lumberjacks took on the Northern Colorado Bears in Greeley on Thursday night where NAU would double their season total for scoring in one night, highlighted by Phoenix's two goals. Phoenix tabbed what would be the game-winner in the 26th minute as Micala Boex took a corner kick from the right of the field, sending a boot straight into the box as Phoenix connected with a header to give the Jacks a 1-0 lead. Phoenix would tip her second of the night in from just in front of UNC's line as she snuck past two defenders for the 3-0 lead off a Deniah Wells pass from outside the box. Phoenix's Thursday night goals mark her second and third of her NAU career, putting her in the lead for the Jacks in goals scored (2) and second in points (4).
Co-Offensive Player of the Week: Abigail Lopez, Sacramento State (MF, Sr., Elk Grove, Calif.)
Abigail Lopez finished with a goal and a pair of assists for the Hornets, who posted wins over Idaho State (4-1) and Weber State (3-0) to complete an undefeated weekend. Lopez's score against the Bengals capped a huge win that saw Sacramento State post a season high in goals and the most in a match since a 4-2 win over EWU in 2021. Two days later, Lopez assisted on the Hornets' final two goals in the shutout of the Wildcats, keeping her team unbeaten at home (4-0-2) this year. Her three assists this year are a career high and her 35 career points after Sunday's performance have her just one point shy of the school's all-time top 10.
Defensive Player of the Week: Sydney Sharts, Sacramento State (D, R-Sr., Newbury Park, Calif.)
Sydney Sharts scored the first two goals of her Sacramento State career in wins over Idaho State and Weber State, including the game-winner over the Bengals in a 4-1 victory. In addition to her scoring exploits, she also spearheaded a defense that limited the Bengals and Wildcats to a combined seven shots on goal (3 for Idaho State and 4 for Weber State) and only one score – which didn't even come from the run of play as Idaho State scored on a penalty in the 63rd minute. Her first goal came on a header off a corner from teammate Cassandra Herrman in the 20th minute against the Bengals. She added a second header off a cross from Abigail Lopez in the 30th minute against Weber State.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Soccer Player of the Week
Offense: Kendall Moore (EWU), Kahvayli Miller (UI), Paige Harris (ISU), Kayla Rendon Bushmaker (UM), Elle Frazier (PSU)
Defense: Kamryn Willoughby (EWU), Alyssa Peters (UI), Trinity Hale (ISU), Bayliss Flynn (UM), Eden Millan (PSU)
Big Sky Golfer of the Week (Oct. 9, 2024)
Golfer of the Week: Emma Kang, Idaho (So., Torrence, Calif.)
With individual medalist honors at the Tri-State Invitational, and leading her team to a title as well, Idaho’s Emma Kang has been named Big Sky Golfer of the Week. Kang shot a 1-over 145 over two rounds of play at The Creek at Qualchan in Spokane, Washington. As a team, the Vandals were 11-over.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Golfer of the Week
Sneha Sharan (SAC), Elle Higgins (UM)
Follow the Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) on X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok for all of the latest news around the league and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated to stay connected.