FARMINGTON, Utah (Feb. 16, 2026) – The Big Sky Conference announced its Player of the Week honors, presented by
JAMBAR, with men's indoor track & field, women's indoor track & field, men's basketball, women's basketball, men's tennis, women's tennis, men's golf, women’s golf and softball all in action.
Big Sky Softball Player of the Week (February 16, 2026)
Softball Player of the Week: Katie Marsh, Sacramento State (C, Sr., Susanville, Calif.)
Senior Katie Marsh helped lead Sacramento State to a 4-1 record at the GCU Invite in Phoenix. The catcher hit safely in all five games, had at least one RBI in every game, and homered in each of the final three games of the tournament. Over five games, Marsh hit .500 (8-for-16) with five runs, three homers, a triple and 10 RBIs. She averaged 2.0 RBIs per contest, slugged 1.188, posted an ops of 1.697, and tallied 19 total bases.
She had multiple-hit games in three of the contests, multiple-RBIs in four of the games, and posted an extra base hit in all but one game. In three wins over South Dakota, she combined to go 6-for-10 with seven RBIs against the Coyotes. The Susanville, Calif., native also had a triple and two RBIs vs. 27th-ranked Grand Canyon, and went 1-for-3 with a homer against Harvard.
Others Nominated for Softball Player of the Week
Sydney Groves (ISU), Anna Cockhill (UM), Amailee Morales (UNC), Grace Johnson (PSU)
Big Sky Softball Pitcher of the Week (February 16, 2026)
Softball Pitcher of the Week: Kennedie Bacon, Sacramento State (P, Sr., Foresthill, Calif.)
Senior Kennedie Bacon helped the Hornets to a 4-1 record at the GCU Invite. In two starts, the right-hander went 2-0 with a 0.58 ERA, which included a five-hit shutout of Harvard. In 12.0 innings, Bacon allowed just eight hits (seven singles) and one run with eight strikeouts. Opponents hit .182 when she was in the circle, and Bacon was part of a staff that posted a 2.03 ERA during the tournament.
In the Hornets’ 1-0 win over Harvard, she allowed five hits (all singles) with five strikeouts over seven innings. She induced 13 ground-ball outs, and retired 12 straight batters between the third and seventh innings.
In the team’s five-inning 9-1 mercy rule win over South Dakota, Bacon allowed three hits and a run with three strikeouts in five innings.
Others Nominated for Softball Pitcher of the Week
Kasey Aquinaga (ISU), Anna Wilming (UNC), Gracie Walters (PSU)
Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week (February 16, 2026)
Men's Track Athlete of the Week: Colin Sahlman, Northern Arizona (Sr., Camarillo, Calif.)
Running the third-fastest mile in the NCAA this season has earned Northern Arizona’s Colin Sahlman Men’s Track Athlete of the Week honors. Sahlman ran a 3:52.30 at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational to break his own Big Sky Conference record and surge up the national leaderboard. This marks his third weekly honor of the season.
Others Nominated for Men's Track Athlete of the Week
Maddy Shekhawat (EWU), Mateo Ganje (UI), Sunny Gunn (ISU), Karsen Beitz (UM), Daniel Beckford (UNC), Jack Macdonald (PSU), Nathan Rider (SAC), Peter Visser (WSU)
Men's Field Athlete of the Week: Justin Cardoza, Northern Arizona (Jr., San Diego, Calif.)
Moving into 30
th nationally in the triple jump has earned Northern Arizona’s Justin Cardoza Men’s Field Athlete of the Week honors. He secured a mark of 15.82m (51-11) to move into second this season in the Big Sky.
Others Nominated for Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Jason Nwaka (EWU), Kevin Swindler (UM), Chase McGee (MSU), Tyler Rogers (UNC), Eddward Niyongere (PSU), Jamar Andrews Jr. (SAC), Tyler Warnick (WSU)
Women's Track Athlete of the Week: Hayley Burns, Northern Arizona (Jr., Bozeman, Mont.)
Running the fastest 3,000-meter in the Big Sky so far this season, and moving into No. 15 nationally for the event, has earned Northern Arizona’s Hayley Burns Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors. Burns ran an 8:48.10 in the event at the BU David Hemery Valentine Invitational to set an impressive standard for the league. This marked her fourth weekly award from the Big Sky this season.
Others Nominated for Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Judith Koumedzina (EWU), Rhyan Madden (UI), Mikenna Ells (UM), MSU 4x400 Team, Monique Stewart (UNC), Emma Stolte (PSU), Ava Fitzgerald (SAC), Charlotte Wilkinson (WSU)
Women's Field Athlete of the Week: Hailey Coey, Montana State (Sr., Billings, Mont.)
Continuing her dominance in the long jump has earned Montana State’s Hailey Coey Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors. Coey came within one centimeter of matching her own school and conference record in the long jump, posting a winning mark of 6.46 meters (21-2.5) at the Don Kirby Elite Invitational. Coey is the NCAA’s No. 11 performer in the long jump this season and has won each of her three long jump competitions this season.
Others Nominated for Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Cami Cvitkovich (UI), Erin Wilde (UM), Sariyah Horne-Kemp (NAU), Camaria Corder (UNC), Ocean Rideout (PSU), Chandler Miller (SAC), Gurleen Mander (WSU)
Big Sky Women's Basketball Player of the Week (February 17, 2026)
Women's Basketball Player of the Week: Kayla Williams, Northern Arizona (F, Sr., San Diego, Calif.)
Kayla posted stats of 20.5 points on 62.5% shooting, and five rebounds per game this week while dishing three assists and grabbing two steals. Kayla hit two clutch free throws to keep NAU up by three against PSU so the game could only go into OT on Thursday.
The 2-0 weekend for the Lumberjacks has led to a three game win streak as Northern Arizona prepares to host two of the league’s Top-4 teams, Idaho and Northern Colorado for the final home games of the season in Flagstaff.
Others Nominated for Women's Basketball Player of the Week
Ella Gallatin (EWU), Debora Dos Santos (UI), Tasia Jordan (ISU), Ella Johnson (MSU), Tatum West (UNC), Kyleigh Brown (PSU)
Big Sky Men's Basketball Player of the Week (February 17, 2026)
Men's Basketball Player of the Week: Quinn Denker, Northern Colorado (G, Sr., San Jose, Calif.)
After leading the Northern Colorado Bears to a pair of victories, Quinn Denker has been named Big Sky Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Week. Denker did it all for UNC, averaging 22.5 points per game, 11.5 assists per game and 7.5 rebounds per game in victories over Portland State and Sacramento State. Against Sac State, he broke the Northern Colorado single-game assists record with 16 against the Hornets. This marks Denker’s fifth weekly award from the Big Sky this season, and second since league play began.
Others Nominated for Men's Basketball Player of the Week
Alton Hamilton IV (EWU), Isaiah Brickner (UI), Te’Jon Sawyer (UM), Diego Campisano (NAU), Jaylin Henderson (PSU), Tijan Saine Jr. (WSU)
Big Sky Men's Tennis Player of the Week (February 18, 2026)
Men's Tennis Player of the Week: Chetanna Amadike, Idaho (Sr. Calgary, Canada)
Idaho's Chetanna Amadike led the Vandals to a perfect weekend, with wins over Texas Rio Grande Valley and UC San Diego. Amadike went a combined 4-0 in singles and doubles play, while not surrendering a set at the No. 1 spot in singles action. The Vandals victory against UTRGV officially clinched the 4-3 win for Idaho. The weekly honor is the first for Amadike as a Vandal.
Others Nominated for Men's Tennis Player of the Week
Matt Upton (UM), Nick Bowles (SAC), Ken Dinh (WSU)
Big Sky Women's Tennis Player of the Week (February 18, 2026)
Women's Tennis Player of the Week: Millie Day, Idaho State (So., Buckinghamshire, England)
Idaho State's Millie Day led the Bengals to a 2-0 weekend, after downing North Dakota and Utah Tech this past week. Day was a perfect 4-0 in singles and doubles action, as she didn't drop a set at the No. 1 position in singles play. The weekly honor is the first of Day's career.
Others Nominated for Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Zoe Pradel (EWU), Palina Saulevich (SAC)
Big Sky Men's Golfer of the Week (February 18, 2026)
Men's Golfer of the Week: Leander Neuhaus, Francis Marion (So., Hamburg, Germany)
After securing a top-three finish at the Wexford Intercollegiate, Francis Marion’s Leander Neuhaus has been named Big Sky Conference Men’s Golfer of the Week. He shot a 6-under 210 (70-70-70) to secure his first career top-five finish, and second career top-10 finish. This also marks his third Big Sky Men’s Golfer of the Week title.
Others Nominated for Men's Golfer of the Week
Josh McCartain (UI), Thomas Barnes Grimes (UNC)
Big Sky Women's Golfer of the Week (February 18, 2026)
Co-Women's Golfer of the Week: Norah Seidl, Montana State (Jr., Sankt Pölten, Austria)
Playing as an individual and securing a top-four finish at the Texas Golf Throwdown has earned Montana State’s Norah Seidl Women’s Golfer of the Week honors. She shot 2-over in the event and finished ahead of four nationally ranked players. She play was highlighted by a hole-in-one on No. 8 during the second round. This marked her second top-five finish of the season. She joins teammates Eva Heinz and Lauren Greeny as Bobcats to earn a weekly honor so far this season.
Co-Women's Golfer of the Week: Lizzie Neale, Northern Arizona (Sr., Nelson, New Zealand)
Securing a top-10 finish amongst one of the toughest fields in the nation has earned Northern Arizona’s Lizzie Neale Women’s Golfer of the Week honors. Neale finished tied for 10
th at the Alice & John Wallace Wome’s Golf Classic, knocking off 11 nationally ranked players. Across her whole career, this marked her 10
th top-10 finish. This marks her second weekly honor from the Big Sky so far this season.
Others Nominated for Men's Golfer of the Week
N/A
Follow Us
Follow the Big Sky Conference (@BigSkyConf) on X, Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, YouTube and TikTok for all the latest news around the league and use the hashtag #ExperienceElevated to stay connected.