FARMINGTON, Utah (Feb. 23, 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 23, 2026)
Softball Player of the Week: Amailee Morales, Northern Colorado (1B, Sr., Surprise, Ariz.)
Northern Colorado's Amailee Morales led the Bears offensively, hitting .556 (10-for-18) with a .600 on-base percentage and .667 slugging percentage over five games. She added two doubles and four RBI while striking out just once on a 2-3 weekend.
Defensively, Morales recorded 39 putouts and one assist at first base over the course of the five-game weekend.
Others Nominated for Softball Player of the Week
Ava Brown (ISU), Grace Lopez (UM), Saskia Raab (SAC), Jordan McMahon (WSU)
Big Sky Softball Pitcher of the Week (February 23, 2026)
Softball Pitcher of the Week: Alexa Ortiz, Sacramento State (P, Jr., Chandler, Ariz.)
Senior Alexa Ortiz helped Sacramento State to a 4-0 record at the Mustang Classic in San Luis Obispo. The right-hander started two of the four games, and went 2-0 with two complete games, a 0.50 ERA and 0.71 WHIP. In 14.0 innings, she was dominant, allowing just two runs and four hits with 14 strikeouts. Opponents hit just .085 when she was in the circle, and both of her complete game efforts were two-hitters.
In the Hornets’ 6-1 win over Cal Poly, the Chandler, Ariz., native allowed two hits and one run while striking out six batters. She followed up that effort two days later in another complete-game effort, yielding two hits and one unearned run with eight strikeouts. She threw a total of 241 pitches in her two appearances.
Others Nominated for Softball Pitcher of the Week
Marley Goluskin (ISU), Anna Wilming (UNC)
Big Sky Indoor Track & Field Athletes of the Week (February 23, 2026)
Men's Track Athlete of the Week: Northern Arizona Men's Distance Medley Relay Team
By running the sixth fastest distance medley relay in the nation this season, Northern Arizona’s squad of Colin Sahlman, Tor Hotung-Davidsen, Josiah Johnson and Clayton Shively has been tabbed Men’s Track Athlete of the Week. The group ran an altitude converted 9:16.98 to explode on the national scene in hopes of securing a spot in the National Championship.
Others Nominated for Men's Track Athlete of the Week
Edgar Garcia (UNC), Jack Macdonald (PSU)
Men's Field Athlete of the Week: Easton Hatleberg, Montana State (So., Grandview, Texas)
Securing his third victory in the shot put this season, Montana State’s Easton Hatleberg has been named Men’s Field Athlete of the Week. He finished the event with a mark of 18.34m (60-2) at the Big Sky Tuner in Bozeman. He is the Big Sky leader and owns the fourth best mark in Montana State history. His mark this past weekend would have been the second best in the Big Sky so far this season.
Others Nominated for Men's Field Athlete of the Week
Christian Mutengela (NAU), Daniel Coppedge (PSU)
Women's Track Athlete of the Week: Kalei Moravitz, Montana State (Jr., Camas, Wash.)
Running the fastest 800-meter in the Big Sky so far this season has earned Montana State’s Kalei Moravitz Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors. She ran a 2:06.04 after altitude conversion at the Big Sky Tuner in Bozeman. Her mark set a Montana State school record.
Others Nominated for Women's Track Athlete of the Week
Makenzie McRae (NAU), Alexia Austin (UNC), Savannah Beasley (PSU)
Women's Field Athlete of the Week: Sydney Brewster, Montana State (Jr., Sandy, Ore.)
Breaking her own Montana State and Big Sky Conference record has earned Sydney Brewster Women’s Field Athlete of the Week honors. She finished with a mark of 17.25m (56-7.25) to set a personal best for the fourth time this season so far. Additionally, she ranks No. 11 in the NCAA
Others Nominated for Women's Field Athlete of the Week
Ocean Rideout (PSU)
Big Sky Women's Basketball Player of the Week (February 24, 2026)
Women's Basketball Player of the Week: Ella Gallatin, Eastern Washington (G, Sr., Snohomish, Wash.)
Eastern Washington's Ella Gallatin was a force all over the court this past week, averaging 22.0 points, 8.0 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game. She shot 43.3 percent from the floor, and was 14-of-15(93.3%) from the free throw line.
In the Eagles' 87-78 win over Portland State, Gallatin dropped 25 points, adding 10 assists for her second career double-double, along with five rebounds. Gallatin's 10 assists are the most by an Eastern player since Jamie Loera recorded 12 against Utah State in 2023.
Against Sacramento State, Gallatin scored 19 points, with six assists and six rebounds.
Others Nominated for Women's Basketball Player of the Week
Piper Carlson (ISU), Jamison Phillip (MSU), Layla Davis (NAU), Cici Ellington (PSU), Benthe Versteeg (SAC)
Big Sky Men's Basketball Player of the Week (February 24, 2026)
Men's Basketball Player of the Week: Gus Etchison, Idaho State (G, RSr., Arcadia, Ind.)
Coming off the bench, Idaho State’s Gus Etchison averaged 32.5 points per game against Montana and Montana State this past weekend to earn Men’s Basketball Player of the Week honors. Heading into the weekend, the Bengals were on a nine-game losing skid, and Etchison was averaging just 6.4 ppg on the year. After 80 minutes of basketball, the Bengals had defeated the Grizzlies and Bobcats in the same weekend for the first time since 2007-08. Etchison also averaged four rebounds per game and dished out 10 assists. Yesterday, he was named National Player of the Week by CollegeInsider.com, becoming the fourth Big Sky player this season to earn that recognition. Etchison is a transfer from Marian University and is the first Bengal to earn weekly honors from the Big Sky so far this season.
Others Nominated for Men's Basketball Player of the Week
Isaiah Moses (EWU), Jackson Rasmussen (UI), Patrick McMahon (MSU), Chris Komin (NAU), Brock Wisne (UNC), Jaylin Henderson (PSU), Mark Lavrenov (SAC), Viljami Vartiainen (WSU)
Big Sky Men's Tennis Player of the Week (February 25, 2026)
Men's Tennis Player of the Week: Chetanna Amadike, Idaho (Sr., Calgary, Canada)
Idaho's Chetanna Amadike went 2-0 against No. 60 Gonzaga, as the Vandals dropped a 4-3 decision to the Bulldogs. Amadike won both of his matches, with a straight-set win coming at the No. 1 spot in singles, and a 6-4 victory with partner Gabriel Moroder in doubles action at the No. 2 court. The weekly honor for Amadike marks back-to-back wins for the senior.
Others Nominated for Men's Tennis Player of the Week
Noa Tcherniack (NAU), David Dai (SAC)
Big Sky Women's Tennis Player of the Week (February 25, 2026)
Women's Tennis Player of the Week: Reese Walker, Sacramento State (Jr., Houston, Texas)
Sacramento State's Reese Walker helped No. 68 Sacramento State split a pair of matches against nationally ranked competition, as she went 2-0 at the No. 1 spot in singles play. The Hornets downed No. 52 Long Beach State, 4-3, before dropping a 5-2 contest to No. 22 San Diego State. Walker won in straight sets over her LBSU foe, before grinding out a three-set win against her SDSU opponent to conclude the weekend. Both of Walker's doubles matches went unfinished. The weekly honor is the first of the year for Walker and third overall for the Hornet women.
Others Nominated for Women's Tennis Player of the Week
Leandra Nizetic (EWU), Anna Wise (MSU), Patrycja Niewiadomska (NAU), Marta Giglio (PSU)
Big Sky Men's Golfer of the Week (February 26, 2026)
Men's Golfer of the Week: Max Thomas, Sacramento State (So., Rocklin, Calif.)
Sacramento State’s Max Thomas recorded his best collegiate finish and 54-hole total as he tied for second at Wyoming Desert Intercollegiate on Wednesday at Classic Club, resulting in Men’s Golfer of the Week honors. Thomas totaled a 207 (68-71-68) to finish one stroke off the individual leader. His three-round total was two strokes lower than his previous career low as a Hornet. Thomas' three rounds were highlighted by an eagle during the first round. The sophomore concluded the tournament with an eagle, 12 birdies, 36 pars and only five bogeys. He joins teammate Mason Benbrook as Hornets to win Men’s Golfer of the Week so far this season.
Others Nominated for Men's Golfer of the Week
N/A
Big Sky Women's Golfer of the Week (February 26, 2026)
Co-Women's Golfer of the Week: Sophia Lee, Sacramento State (Fr., Vacaville, Calif.)
Sacramento State’s Sophia Lee tied for second place at the Causeway Invitational and led the Hornets to a third-place showing in the team standings on Monday and Tuesday at Del Paso CC, resulting in Women’s Golfer of the Week honors. Lee shot a 213 (73-70-70) and set her season 54-hole best by seven strokes. Over the course of the tournament, she had 39 pars and nine birdies. Lee tied for second in the field with an average of 3.96 on par four holes. The true freshman has played in all six tournaments this year for the Hornets and is averaging 73.61 over the 18 rounds. This marks the fourth time this season that the Hornets have claimed weekly honors, as she joins teammates Tova Hatton and Ella Kraft as athletes to secure the title.
Others Nominated for Men's Golfer of the Week
N/A
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