FARMINGTON, Utah (July 16, 2026) – The Big Sky Conference office has released its list of 2025-26 Scholar Athlete honorees, highlighting the commitment of 23 student-athletes to both the classroom and their respective field of competition.
“Putting together an entire career that would qualify you to be a Scholar Athlete in the Big Sky Conference is an incredibly impressive feat, and all 23 individuals being honored today should be very proud of themselves for what they’ve accomplished,” Commissioner Tom Wistrcill said. “This is a group that has compiled a long list of accolades for their respective sports and are now putting a bow on their stellar careers with a diploma in hand, which is truly what collegiate athletics is all about.”
To be eligible for this award, the student-
athlete must have exhausted his or her intercollegiate athletic eligibility and/or be a member of the graduating class, earned a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 (on a 4.0) scale, been a participant in a Big Sky-sponsored sport, completed at least two (2) years of intercollegiate competition at the institution, and been a letter winner.
Each full-time member is represented by both a male and female student-athlete, while affiliate members are given one for their respective sports.
Below is the full list of honorees broken down by institution.
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2025-26 Big Sky Conference Scholar Athletes
Eastern Washington
Riley Arribas, Soccer, Nursing (Aliso Viejo, Calif.)
Marcus Lemon, Men’s XC/Track & Field, MED Elementary Education (Spokane, Wash.)
Idaho
Madu Fontes, Volleyball, Food & Nutrition (Palmas Tocantins, Brazil)
Isaiah Brickner, Men’s Basketball, Psychology (San Diego, Calif.)
Idaho State
Mary Za, Soccer, Honors Bachelor of Business Finance (Fairfax, Va.)
Michael Shulikov, Football, Master's of Business Administration (Boise, Idaho)
Montana
Erin Wilde, Women’s Track and Field, Business Management (Whitefish, Mont.)
Tom Bittner, Men’s Tennis, Management Information Systems (Neusaessess, Germany)
Montana State
Caroline Hawkes, Women's Track & Field, Food and Nutrition Science (San Clemente, Calif.)
Jed Miller, Men's Basketball, Business - Marketing (Agoura Hills, Calif.)
Northern Arizona
Lizzie Neale, Women’s Golf, University Studies (Nelson, New Zealand)
Cael Grotenhuis, Men’s XC/Track & Field, Educational Leadership (Slinger, Wis.)
Northern Colorado
Timbre Shehee, Women’s Golf, Business Economics (Mead, Colo.)
Quinn Denker, Men’s Basketball, Sport Coaching (San José, Calif.)
Portland State
Emma Stolte, Women’s XC/Track & Field, Public Health Studies: Pre-Clinical Sciences (Townsend, Mont.)
Mathias Uribe, Football, Applied Health and Fitness (San Dimas, Calif)
Sacramento State
Greta Davis, Volleyball, Mathematics (Sisters, Ore.)
Nathan Rider, Men’s Track & Field, Kinesiology (Medford, Ore.)
Weber State
Alyssa Hansen Freestone, Women’s Track & Field, Nursing (Pleasant View, Utah)
Peter Visser, Men’s XC/Track & Field, Masters of English (Afton, Wyo.)
Franics Marion
Pake June, Men's Golf, Management (Florence, S.C.)
Cal Poly
Richie Watts, Football, Political Science (Rocklin, Calif.)
UC Davis
Grant Harper, Football, Master of Management (Moraga, Calif.)