FARGO, N.D. - North Dakota State University's longtime team physician Dr. Bruce Piatt and NDSU Dining Services staff member Pat Mattson were among the award winners announced Thursday, May 3, during the NDSU athletic department's fourth annual Green and Gold Gala at the Fargo Theatre.
Piatt was selected for the Bison Impact Award, which is presented to a member of the community who has made a significant impact on NDSU Athletics and is nominated by the Green and Gold Gala committee. Piatt specializes in sports medicine and orthopedic surgery at Sanford Health in Fargo. He has been a member of the NDSU sports medicine team since 1999.
Mattson, a cashier in the West Dining Center, was selected for the Student-Athlete Choice Award, which is designated by the Student-Athlete Advisory Council to recognize an athletic department staff member who makes a major contribution to student-athlete or team success.
Football junior quarterback Easton Stick was named Male Athlete of the Year after leading the Bison to their sixth FCS national championship and being named Most Outstanding Player of the championship game. Other finalists for Male Athlete of the Year were Nick DeLuca, football; Andrew Israelson, golf; Paul Miller, basketball; Payton Otterdahl, track and field; Mason Pierzchalski, baseball; and Clay Ream, wrestling.
Women's track and field senior Alyssa Olin, the Summit League leader and ranked No. 2 nationally in the javelin throw, was voted Female Athlete of the Year. Other finalists for Female Athlete of the Year were Malley O'Brien, soccer; Mikaela Purnell, volleyball; Natalie Roth, golf; and Jacquelyn Sertic, softball.
Football linebacker Jabril Cox was named Male Rookie of the Year after leading NDSU in tackles and being named MVFC Newcomer of the Year and Freshman of the Year and finishing sixth in the national voting for the Jerry Rice Award as FCS Freshman of the Year. Other finalists for Male Rookie of the Year were Tim Heikkila, cross country and track and field; Van Holmgren, golf; and Cameron Hunter, basketball.
Women's cross country standout Kelby Anderson was named Female Rookie of the Year after placing third at the Summit League championships and earning Newcomer of the Year as the league's top freshman finisher. Other finalists for Female Rookie of the Year were Danielle Algera, soccer; Michelle Gaislerova, basketball; Bella Lien, volleyball; Taylor McCorkle, golf; and Daejha Moss, track and field.
Baseball relief pitcher Kevin Folman and women's golfer Trisa Hutchinson were recipients of the Bison Pride Award, which is nominated by coaches and awarded to one male and one female student-athlete for their contributions to the team's success withholding on-field performance. Other male finalists were Mitch Friedman, wrestling; AJ Jacobson, basketball; and Daniel Polansky, football. Other female finalists were Amanda Levin, track and field; Rylee Nudell, basketball; and Katie Shoultz, softball.
The NDSU women's golf team won the Bison Cup, the team service award presented by the Student-Athlete Advisory Council to one athletic team for its outstanding community service.
Several academic awards were also presented, including the Bison Academic Performance Award, Bison Academic Achievement Award, Bison Academic Excellence Award, Bison Most Valuable Scholar Athletes Award, National Consortium for Academics and Sports Student-Athlete Day Award, Thundering Herd Male and Female Team Academic Awards, Presidential Most Improved Team Academic Award and Presidential Team Academic Award.
Ryan Gellner, sideline reporter for NDSU football telecasts on the NBC North Dakota network, served as master of ceremonies for the event.
Bison Academic Performance Award
Spencer Adolphson, CHEER; Danielle Algera, SOC; Jalen Allison, FB; Amanda Anderson, WTF; Kelby Anderson, WTF; Austin Avery, FB; Josh Babicz, FB; Eric Bachmeier, FB; Alex Bartholomay, MTF; Jack Begley, FB; Sierra Bennion, WGOLF; Isaac Berg, MTF; Kylee Bergantine, WTF; Brant Bohmert, FB; Emma Bonnet, WTF; Austin Braun, WR; Marquise Bridges, FB; Jaxon Brown, FB; Maddie Burnstein, SOC; Logan Busch, BSB; Costner Ching, FB; Chris Choles, BSB; Maverick Coleman, MTF; Brynnan Covington, WTF; Jack Darnell, FB; Bailey DeMar, WTF; Macy Denzer, WTF; Nicola DePape, SOC; Brookelyn Dew, SOC; Roger Dickerson, CHEER; Emily Dietz, WBB; Holly Enderle, SOC; Ryan Enerson, MTF; Tyler Enerson, MTF; Brent Fleetwood, WR; Mitch Friedman, WR; John Frosig, CHEER; Michelle Gaislerova, WBB; Erika Gelzinyte, VB; Lexi Geolat, WGOLF; Brant Gilbertson, MTF; Sam Gilseth, WR; Tom Ginther, BSB; Kyle Gliva, WR; Anna Goodhope, WBB; Chani Groseth, CHEER; Emily Halverson, VB; Jackson Hankey, FB; Reid Hawkins, MXC; Lizzy Heil, WTF; Trevor Heit, FB; Charley Hesse, BSB; Tyler Hillman, BSB; Caleb Hofer, FB; Levi Hofer, FB; Van Holmgren, MGOLF; Bennett Hostetler, BSB; Alliana Houfek, WTF; Peter Isais, FB; Sarah Jacobson, WBB; Piper Jensen, WTF; Zack Johnson, FB; Lucas Johnson, MGOLF; Cole Karcz, FB; Michael Kelly, FB; Ross Kennelly, FB; Aron Klos, MTF; Rocky Kreuser, MBB; Cody Kruize, CHEER; Melina Kuerschner, WTF; Macey Kvilvang, WBB; KK Leddy, SB; Jake Leingang, MTF; Bella Lien, VB; Alyssa Lind, WTF; Julia Luciano, SB; Klara Lyon, WTF; Jake Malec, BSB; Dominic Martinez, MTF; Allie Mauch, VB; Taylor McCorkle, WGOLF; Logan McCormick, FB; Emilee McGowan, VB; Jordan Meidinger, MBB; Nick Mergen, WR; Jake Mertens, MBB; Bryce Messner, FB; JeAnna MIller, WTF; Taylor Nein, WR; Jerrad Nieland, WR; Nnamdi Van Dulm, MBB; Noah Sanders, FB; Malley O'Brien, SOC; Kara O'Byrne, SB; Daniella Jasper, SOC; Alyssa Olin, WTF; Payton Otterdahl, MTF; Trevor Otterdahl, MTF; Beau Pauly, FB; August Peplinski, WR; Benji Phillips, MTF; Chris Quayle, MBB; Christian Rawlings, BSB; Jake Reinholz, FB; Dani Renner, SB; Jacob Richter, MTF; Roxy Roemer, SOC; Tucker Rohde, BSB; Natalie Roth, WGOLF; Kennedi Sand, WTF; Paige Schaffer, VB; Connor Schank, MTF; Brody Schmidt, WR; Ellen Schneider, SOC; Karson Schoening, FB; Noah Shafer, MTF; Blake Stockert, BSB; Gavin Sutton, WR; Marian Taiwo, SOC; Alex Talley, MTF; Alexis Thomas, WGOLF; Jordyn Thornton, WTF; Lane Tucker, FB, Derrek Tuszka, FB; Dylan Urbach, WR; Malana Vachon, SOC; Tanner Volson, FB; Andy Voyen, FB; Maea Wall, WTF; Garret Wegner, FB; Lexy Wittmayer, WTF; Carson Yaggie, FB
Bison Academic Achievement Award
Luke Bacon, FB; Matt Biegler, FB; Julia Edelstein, SOC; Alex Erickson, VB; Mallory Fenske, SOC; James Fisher, FB; Robbie Grimsley, FB; Amy Herrington, WTF; Keenan Hodenfield, FB; Andrew Israelson, MGOLF; Abbi Klos, VB; Kelsey Laufenberg, WTF; Miki Lee, WTF; Bailey Lervick, SOC; Amanda Levin, WTF; Erik Olson, FB; Jared Samuelson, MBB; Maggie Schwarzkopf, WTF; Jacquelyn Sertic, SB; Dan Stibral, WR; Steffan Stroh, MTF; Grace Sundberg, SOC; RJ Urzendowski, FB; Johanna Weber; WTF; Connor Wendel, MTF
Bison Academic Excellence Award
Vanessa Anderson, SB; Alex Bartholomay, MXC; Jaelin Beachy, WTF; Katie Bostrom, WTF; Bailey Brown, CHEER; McKenzie Burke, VB; J.T. Butler, MTF; Byrne Curl, MTF; Sydney Dale, WTF; Cole Davis, FB; Montana DeCamp, SB; Jocelyn Dinius, WTF; Cordell Eaton, WR; Spencer Eliason, MBB; Ben Ellefson, FB; David Farrenkopf, CHEER; Drew Fearing, BSB; Kyle Ferderer, BSB; Brian Ferry, MTF; Kevin Folman, BSB; Lauren Gietzen, WTF; Gabrielle Grommesh, WTF; Shelby Gunnells, WTF; Deidre Hahn, WTF; Paige Harris, WTF; Katherine Heilman, WTF; Kayla Huhnerkoch, WTF; Trisa Hutchinson, WGOLF; AJ Jacobson, MBB; Mallori Johnson, WTF; Melina Kuerschner, WTF; Zak Kuntz, FB; Rachel Lee, WTF; Josie Lilja, WTF; Joseph Louiselle, MXC; Garrett Malstrom, FB; Jayse McLean, BSB; Greg Menard, FB; Morgan Milbrath, SB; Matt Neururer, MTF; Rylee Nudell, WBB; Morgan Olson, SB; Courtney Pasiowitz, WTF; Matt Plank, FB; Daniel Polansky, FB; Brianna Rasmusson, VB; Clay Ream, WR; Lauren Reimers, SB; Anna Reinholz, SOC; Bailey Retzlaff, WTF; Camryn Roadley, WGOLF; Annika Rotvold, WTF; Connor Salisbury, MTF; Austin Schmidt, MTF; Darrius Shepherd, FB; Andrew Steinwand, MTF; Easton Stick, FB; Elliott Stone, MTF; Tony Ukkelberg, MTF; Lindsay Wangerin, WTF; Jonah Warwick, MTF; Alexis Woods, WTF
National Consortium for Academics and Sports Student-Athlete Day Award
Ben Ellefson, FB; Darrius Shepherd, FB; Keaton Lausch, MGOLF; Andrew Israelson, MGOLF; Kevin Folman, BSB; Jayse McLean, BSB; Clay Ream, WR; Trisa Hutchinson, WGOLF; Brianna Rasmusson, VB; Paul Miller, MBB; Jonah Warwick, MTF; Jacquelyn Sertic, SB; Rylee Nudell, WBB; Sarah Jacobson, WBB; Roger Dickerson, CHEER
Bison Most Valuable Scholar-Athletes
Ryan Enerson, MTF; Lauren Gietzen, WTF; Gabrielle Grommesh, WTF; Trisa Hutchinson, WGOLF; Jayse McLean, BSB; Greg Menard, FB; Courtney Pasiowitz, WTF; Brianna Rasmusson, VB; Clay Ream, WR; Anna Reinholz, SOC; Austin Schmidt, MTF; Alexis Woods, WTF
Thundering Herd Male Team Academic Award
Men's Cross Country
Thundering Herd Female Team Academic Award
Women's Cross Country
Presidential Academic Team Award
Women's Cross Country
Presidential Most Improved Team Academic Award
Women's Golf
