FARMINGTON, Utah (Feb. 10, 2025) – The Big Sky Conference will announce weekly honors for softball, indoor track and field, women’s basketball, men’s basketball, tennis and women’s golf through the course of the week.
Big Sky Softball Player of the Week (February 10, 2025)
Softball Player of the Week: Katie Marsh, Sacramento State (Jr., Susanville Calif.)
Junior catcher Katie Marsh helped lead Sacramento State to a 3-1 record at the season-opening NorCal Kickoff and a trio of multiple-hit games in wins over Saint Mary’s, Utah Valley and San Jose State.
The Susanville, Calif., native had a huge week, batting .636 (7-for-11) with four runs, two doubles, a triple, two homers and five RBIs. Of her seven hits, five went for extra bases, and she also posted a .667 on-base percentage, 1.545 slugging percentage and 2.212 ops.
She reached based safely in all four games, had an extra base hits in three of the four contests, and led the Hornets in virtually every statistical category. Defensively, she committed zero errors and threw out a runner attempting to steal.
Others Nominated for Softball Player of the Week
Camryn McDonald (ISU), Presley Jantzi (UM), Ella Gonzales (UNC), Neveah Smith (PSU)
Big Sky Softball Pitcher of the Week (February 10, 2025)
Softball Pitcher of the Week: Caroline Evans, Sacramento State (Sr., San Leandro Calif.)
Senior left-hander Caroline Evans had a big week in the circle, helping the Hornets to a 3-1 record at the season-opening NorCal Kickoff. In two appearances, the San Leandro, Calif., native went 2-0 with a 0.64 ERA. In 11.0 innings, the lefty allowed just six hits, two runs (one earned) with three walks and 18 strikeouts. Only one of those hits went for extra bases, and she finished the week with a 6-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. She also had a streak of retiring 11 consecutive batters in both games.
Others Nominated for Softball Pitcher of the Week
Kasey Aguinaga (ISU), Grace Kimball (PSU), Jayci Finch (WSU)
Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week (February 10, 2025)
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week: Maddy Shekhawat, Eastern Washington (Jr., Jaipur, India)
Running the second-best men’s 60-meter hurdle time in the Big Sky so far this season, Eastern Washington’s
Maddy Shekhawat has been named Men’s Track Athlete of the Week. The Eagle clocked a 7.70, which puts him second in the Big Sky to only Northern Colorado’s Jerome Campbell. This is his second award of the season.
Others Nominated for Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Zachary Cox (ISU), Braden Ankeny (UM), DMR Team (PSU), Malachi Cox (SAC)
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week: Colby Wilson, Montana State (Gr., Olympia, Wash.)
Claiming the top spot in the Big Sky for the men’s pole vault has earned Montana State’s
Colby Wilson Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors. Wilson won the pole vault at the Riverfront Invitational in Spokane on Saturday, clearing a season-best 5.43 meters (17-09.75), the 22nd-best mark in the country this year.
Others Nominated for Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Kaiden Lee (ISU), Patrick Kremer (UM), Daniel Coppedge (PSU), Miles Grant (SAC)
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week: Ava Fitzgerald, Sacramento State (Jr., Roseville, Minn.)
Sacramento State’s
Ava Fitzgerald ran the second-fastest time in school history, finishing the 60-hurdles in 8.38 seconds at the Wolf Pack Classic in Reno, Nev., on Friday. This earned her Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors. Fitzgerald’s time left her just one-hundredth of a second off the school record which has stood since 2012. Her converted time of 8.40 seconds is the best in the Big Sky this season and places her 78th in NCAA Division I to this point of the year.
Others Nominated for Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Mikaela Hill (ISU), Lily Meskers, UM) Irene Montoliu Tio (PSU)
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week: Egypt Simmons, Eastern Washington (RSr., King George, Va.)
Eastern Washington’s
Egypt Simmons has been named Big Sky Women’s Field Athlete of the Week for the second time this season. She jumped to a first-place finish in the long jump, leaping 6.19m (20ft 3.75in), which advanced her mark in the top ten list, although she remained in second place. Caitlin Simmons dominated the triple jump, earning second place with a jump of 12.87m (42ft 2.75in).
Others Nominated for Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Kait Ward (ISU), Shealyne McGee (UM), Sydney Brewster (MSU), Tamia Ramos (SAC)
Big Sky Women's Basketball Player of the Week (February 11, 2025)
Player of the Week: Esmeralda Morales, Montana State (G, Sr., Spanaway, Wash.)
Esmeralda Morales averaged 19.5 points, 3.5 assists, 3.5 steals and 2.0 rebounds per game as the Bobcats won a pair of pivotal home games to run its win streak to 15 consecutive victories. In MSU's most important game to date, Morales stepped up once again against Northern Arizona leading all players with 25 points connecting on 7-18 from the field, 5-11 from long distance and 6-6 at the line. She also chipped in four assists and three steals, while grabbing three rebounds. Morales closed out the week with 14 points against Northern Colorado, to go along with four steals and three assists.
Others Nominated: Kourtney Grossman (EWU), Avery Waddington (UM), Taylor Feldman (NAU), Alaya Fitzgerald (PSU), Jaydia Martin (SAC), Taylor Smith (WSU)
Men's Basketball Player of the Week (February 11, 2025)
Player of the Week: Dylan Darling, Idaho State (PG, RSo., Spokane, Wash.)
For the second-consecutive week, Idaho State’s Dylan Darling has been named Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. The Bengal point guard had a monster outing against Weber State, dropping 30 points on the Wildcats in Ogden. Additionally, Darling had four rebounds, accumulated fours teals and dished out here assists. When considering only in-conference games, Darling is the Big Sky’s top scorer, averaging 22.3 points per contest. He’s also second in the league for assists in Big Sky games with a 5.6 average. Wit this title, Darling becomes the first player this season to earn Men’s Basketball Player of the Week for two-consecutive weeks.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Men's Basketball Player of the Week
Mason Williams (EWU), Jack Payne (UI), Kai Johnson (UM), Jabe Mullins (MSU), Jaron Rillie (UNC), Isaiah Johnson (PSU), Chudi Dioramma (SAC), Trevor Hennig (WSU)
Big Sky Women's Tennis Player of the Week (February 12, 2025)
Player of the Week: Emilija Pranyte, Sacramento State (Fr., Vilnius, Lithuania)
Emilija Pranyte won both matches this past Sunday, as the Sacramento State Hornets improved to 4-0 on the year. Pranyte won a hard-fought, three-set match over her Saint Mary's opponent in singles play at the No. 3 spot and posted a 6-3 win in doubles action at the top of the order. The 4-2 win over Saint Mary's marked Sacramento State's first over the Gales since 2011 and the first at SMC since 1992.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Ruslana Kovalenko (NAU)
Big Sky Men's Tennis Player of the Week (February 12, 2025)
Co-Player of the Week: Baltazar Wiger-Nordas, Montana (Jr., Bergen, Norway)
Baltazar Wiger-Nordas went 3-0 in singles and doubles action for Montana over the past weekend, highlighted by the Grizzlies first-ever win at Air Force. The Norwegian was the clincer in the 5-2 win over Air Force, after he posted a three-set win at the No. 2 spot, following his 6-4 victory in doubles play at the top of the order earlier in the day. With the team wins over Air Force and Metro State this past weekend, Montana is now 6-0 to start the season.
Co-Player of the Week: Gur Libal, Sacramento State (Fr., Netanya, Israel)
Gur Libal won seven combined matches this past week, going 4-0 in singles play and 3-1 in doubles action. Libal won three of the four singles matches in straight sets, including a 7-5, 6-3 win over Portland State's Edoardo Cravanzola at No. 2. The freshman's lone three-setter came in the 4-3 team loss to Seattle, as Libal downed his foe at the No. 2 spot.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Chetanna Amadike (UI), Sam Wensley (ISU)
Big Sky Women’s Golfer of the Week (February 13, 2025)
Golfer of the Week: Isabel Gutierrez, Weber State (Sr., Mexico City, Mexico)
Leader her team to a victory at the BGSU Intercollegiate, Weber State’s Isabel Gutierrez has been named Big Sky Golfer of the Week. Gutierrez shot rounds of 75, 73 and 74 for a 9-over par 222. She carded 10 birdies during the tournament, including four in her final round. The Wildcats finished ahead of a group of Big Sky Conference opponents, including Idaho, who surged to the lead early in the round before sliding into a seventh place finish. The Wildcats also finished ahead of Big Sky programs Northern Colorado (9th), Montana (11th) and Idaho State (14th) as well as in-state rival Utah Valley, who came in 10th. For Gutierrez, this is her second weekly honor this season after winning one in October.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Women’s Golfer of the Week
Elle Higgins (UM), Gabriella Ilardi (EWU), Lizzie Neale (NAU), Momo Udom (PSU)
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