FARMINGTON, Utah (March 24, 2025) – The Big Sky Conference will announce weekly honors for softball, outdoor track and field, tennis and women’s golf through the course of the week.
Big Sky Softball Player of the Week (March 24, 2025)
Co-Player of the Week: Gracie Smith, Idaho State (Jr., Mered, Calif.)
Gracie Smith had a dominant weekend for the Bengals in their series with the Saint Marys Gaels.
In the three games, Smith hit .700 going seven-for-10 with two home runs and a double. Smith score four runs and had four RBIs with 14 total bases for a whopping 1.400 SLG%. On the base paths, smith also went 2-2 in her steal attempts.
Co-Player of the Week: Nya Chacon, Northern Colorado (Grad., San Diego, Calif.)
Nya helped the Bears back into the win column by going 7-of-13 from the plate for a .538 batting average, .600 on base percentage, and .923 slugging percentage to split the four game series against Santa Clara. The graduate student totaled three extra base hits for seven RBIs while adding 12 putouts from the outfield with no errors.
Others Nominated for Softball Player of the Week
Hannah Joblonski (UM), Sherriegh Nakoa-Chung (PSU), Nikki Barboza (SAC)
Big Sky Softball Pitcher of the Week (March 24, 2025)
Pitcher of the Week: Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung (Jr., Waianae, HI.)
Sherreigh Nakoa-Chung led the Vikings in the circle over four games against Rutgers and Pacific, posting a 2.62 ERA across two appearances and eight innings pitched. On Wednesday against the Scarlet Knights, Nakoa-Chung threw 4.2 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and striking out five.
Others Nominated for Softball Pitcher of the Week
Brianna Lachermeier (UM), Isabelle DiNapoli (UNC), Cali McCraw (WSU)
Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week (March 24, 2025)
Men’s Track Athlete of the Week: Josiah Johnson, Northern Arizona (Fr., El Paso, Texas)
Northern Arizona freshman
Josiah Johnson has been named Big Sky Men’s Track Athlete of the Week. Johnson placed third in the 400-meter hurdles at the Willie Williams Classic in his outdoor collegiate debut, clocking 51.70 to rank 4th all-time in program history. The time leads the conference and ranks 16th nationally. He also helped the 4x400-meter relay team run a Big Sky leading time of 3:15.55, placing sixth in the event. Additionally, he ranks fourth in the conference in the 110-meter hurdles, clocking 14.60 to place 10th
Others Nominated for Men’s Track Athlete of the Week
Maddy Shekhawat (EWU), Deghlan Johnson (PSU), Zachary Winger (SAC)
Men’s Field Athlete of the Week: Desmond Lott, Northern Arizona (Jr., Glendale, Ariz.)
Northern Arizona’s
Desmond Lott set three new all-time top ten marks in the school’s record book at the Willie Williams Classic this weekend to earn Field Athlete of the Week honors. All three marks in the shot put, discus, and hammer throw lead the Big Sky Conference. In the shot put, he placed ninth with a personal best toss of 17.10m (56-1 ¼) that ranks 10th all-time in program history. He went on to throw a 55.56m (182-3) in the discus to place third for a new personal best that ranks sixth all-time in program history. Finally, he rounded out the weekend with a third place finish in the hammer throw where he threw a personal best of 64.72m (212-4) to place third, now ranking fifth all-time in program history. His hammer throw mark ranks 15th in the nation and his discus mark ranks 29th.
Others Nominated for Men’s Field Athlete of the Week
Tom Stoelken (ISU), Daniel Coppedge (PSU), Kellan Quinley (SAC)
Women’s Track Athlete of the Week: LiNay Perry, Northern Arizona (Sr., Lancaster, Calif.)
After racking up individual awards at the Big Sky Indoor Championships about a month ago, Northern Arizona’s
LiNay Perry has started her outdoor campaign on the right foot and has been named Women’s Track Athlete of the Week. She won the 400-meters at the Willie Williams Classic with a personal best of 52.77 that ranks third all-time in NAU history and is the sixth fastest time in the country and leads the Big Sky. Perry finished seventh in the 400-meter hurdles with a time of 1:01.74, the second fastest time currently in the conference. She also helped the 4x100-meter relay team place fourth with a time of 45.61, the 10th fastest time in program history. At the indoor championships in Flagstaff, she was named Most Valuable Athlete and Performer of the Meet.
Others Nominated for Women’s Track Athlete of the Week
Sydney Thweatt (EWU), Tori Forst (PSU), Sac State 4x100
Women’s Field Athlete of the Week: Egypt Simmons, Eastern Washington (RSr., King George, Va.)
Setting the early season Big Sky standard in both the long jump and the triple jump has earned Eastern Washington’s
Egypt Simmons Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors. At the 2025 Oregon Preview she had a jump of 19-8.25 in the long jump and a leap of 41-3.25 in the triple jump to rank first in the Big Sky for both events currently.
Others Nominated for Women’s Field Athlete of the Week
Kylee Dimick (ISU), Sariyah Horne-Kemp (NAU), Alison Calvin-Stupfel (PSU), Tamia Ramos (SAC)
Big Sky Women's Tennis Player of the Week (March 26, 2025)
Women’s Player of the Week: Reese Walker, Sacramento State (So., Houston, Texas)
Reese Walker led Sacramento State to conference wins over Montana State and Eastern Washington, with the Hornets winning 7-0 in both matches. Walker played at the No. 2 spot in singles and No. 3 in doubles play. In singles action, Walker posted straight-set wins against Montana State's Meg McCarty and Eastern Washington's Leandra Nizetic. MSU's McCarty was 7-3 prior to the match, having won conference honors twice this season. The honor for Walker was the first of her young career.
Others Nominated for Women’s Tennis Player of the Week
Millie Day (ISU), Daryna Shoshyna (NAU), Kasumi Hirayama (PSU)
Big Sky Men's Tennis Player of the Week (March 26, 2025)
Men’s Player of the Week: Tom Bittner, Montana (Jr., Neusaess, Germany)
Tom Bittner clinched Montana's 4-3 win at Weber State over the weekend, which was Montana's first over the Wildcats in Ogden since 2012. Bittner topped Weber State's Tristan Sarap In three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(1) to give Montana the crucial league win. The conference honor is the first of the season for Bittner and the second of his career.
Others Nominated for Men’s Tennis Player of the Week
Martin Duris (SAC)
Big Sky Women’s Golfer of the Week (March 27, 2025)
Golfer of the Week: Sneha Sharan, Sacramento State (Sr., Bengaluru, India)
After shooting 4-under at the 2025 Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational, Sacramento State’s Sneha Sharan has been named Big Sky Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week. This is the third time this season the senior has claimed the title. Her score placed her in a tie for sixth at the event, finishing ahead of multiple nationally ranked players. This also marked her fourth top 10 finish of the season. She was able to help pace her team to a runner-up finish, knocking off No. 49 Oregon State and No. 47 UC Davis in the process.
Others Nominated for Big Sky Women’s Golfer of the Week
N/A
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