MSU Billings Hands Out Athletics Awards (Apr. 29, 2005)

BILLINGS, MT – Montana State-Billings seniors Joey Ehnes, Justin Hassell and Thomas Pertuit topped the annual awards handed out Friday night at the department’s student-athlete awards ceremony.  Ehnes was named the Most Valuable Female Student-Athlete, and Hassell and Pertuit shared the Most Valuable Male Student-Athlete honor.

Ehnes is a senior softball player from Great Falls, MT, who has led her team to a No. 4 ranking in the NCAA West Region.  The right handed hurler holds every pitching record at the school and currently ranks eleventh in the nation for pitching victories and fifteenth for strikeouts.  Ehnes is also ranked in the school’s top five in eight different career offensive categories and has played in and started more games than any Yellowjacket softball player.

Hassell is a senior basketball player from Brooklyn, NY.  He earned second team all-conference honors this year after leading the PacWest in rebounding and finishing fourth in the conference for scoring.  He averaged 19.6 points and 9.1 rebounds a game.  Hassell finished his career ranked tenth in school history for made free throws.  For the season Hassell ranked 37^th in the nation for scoring and 38^th for rebounding.

Pertuit is a senior men’s soccer player from Billings.  He led the Yellowjackets with 11 goals and 25 points in his senior season, scoring just less than half the team’s points.  His 11 goals and 25 points rank second in school history for a single season.  Pertuit also finished his career ranked second in school history for both career goals (23) and career points (59).  His 13 career assists are a school record.  Pertuit also set a school single game record with four goals in a win over Vanguard this year.

2005 MSU Billings Team Awards

Basketball, Men
Justin Hassell – Senior Award
Lucas Walker – Outstanding Newcomer
Cameron Munoz – Outstanding Offensive Player
Carlin Hughes – Outstanding Floor Leader
Buddy Windy Boy – Outstanding Team Leader
Justin Hassell – Outstanding Rebounder
Jonathan Wiley – Outstanding Defender
Cameron Munoz – Top 50 award for 3-point FG, scoring and FT%
Buddy Windy Boy – Top 50 Award for 3-point FG and 3-point FG%
Justin Hassell – Top 50 Award for scoring and rebounding
Carlin Hughes – Top 50 Award for assists
Jonathan Wiley – Top 50 Award for free FT%

Basketball, Women
Robyn Milne – Most Valuable Player
Tanya Petersen – Offensive Most Valuable Player
Michelle Lieber – Defensive Most Valuable Player
Angie Lessard – Most Improved Player
Kayla Frize – Co-Most Inspirational
Shannon Harvey – Co-Most Inspirational
Jenny Langford – Yellowjacket Award

Cheerleading, Competition Awards
1^st place for the team in the Division 2
1^st place for the All Girl Stunt Group: Brandi Hallgren, Laura Steiger, Lindsey Leischner, Kristin Hodges, Ashley Henderson
2^nd place for the All Girl Stunt Group: Marissa Anderson, Anna Ferguson, Lynsey Parrish, Lindsey Hart, Tracy Mann
1^st place for the Co-ed partner stunt: Frankie Reno and Kristin Hodges
2^nd place for the Co-ed partner stunt: Marc Snider and Brooke Henderson
4^th place for the Co-ed partner stunt: Brad Lauckner and Veronica Butts
8^th place for the Co-ed partner stunt: Eric Faulks and Lindsey Hart

Cross-Country, Men
Sam Hartpence – Co-Most Valuable Runner
Scott Brown – Co-Most Valuable Runner
Jarred Rensvold – Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Cross-Country, Women
Sarah Lord – Co-Most Valuable Runner
Heidi Robertson – Co-Most Valuable Runner
Sarah Lord – Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Tiffany Piplica – Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year

Golf, Men
Bryan Barthelmess – Paul Allen Award
Chris McConnell – Top Scoring Average
Nicholas Larson – Most Valuable Player
Nicholas Larson – Newcomer of the Year
Chris McConnell – First Team All-Conference
Chris Haas – Second Team All-Conference
Zach Abels - Second Team All-Conference

Golf, Women
Amanda Rabenberg – Paul Allen Award
Halley Montalban – Top Scoring Average
Halley Montalban – Most Valuable Player
Nicole Salsbery – Newcomer of the Year
Halley Montalban – First Team All-Conference
Amanda Rabenberg – Second Team All-Conference

Soccer, Men
Thomas Pertuit – Most Valuable Player
Pat Boltz – Player’s Player
Marcus Riley – Newcomer of the Year
Victor Sargent – Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Jess Feldtman – Academic Achievement, 3.75-4.00
Victor Sargent – Academic Achievement, 3.75-4.00
Colin Adams – Academic Achievement, 3.75-4.00
Alex Newton – Academic Achievement, 3.75-4.00
Jesse Spann – Academic Achievement, 3.50-3.74
Joshua Hernandez – Academic Achievement, 3.50-3.74
Marcus Riley – Academic Achievement, 3.50-3.74
Dustin Kono – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Matt D’Hont – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Thomas Pertuit – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Brian Palmer – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Nathan Will – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49

Soccer, Women
Margot Merrill-Johnson – Quest for Excellence
Lacey Albrent – Newcomer of the Year
Margot Merrill-Johnson – Scholar Athlete of the Year
Megan Plank – Most Valuable Player
Margot Merrill-Johnson – Academic Achievement, 3.75-4.00
Kelsey Vinnedge – Academic Achievement, 3.50-3.74
Ally Taylor – Academic Achievement, 3.50-3.74
Alyssa Wolfer – Academic Achievement, 3.50-3.74
Jenni Furman – Academic Achievement, 3.50-3.74
Candy Cherry – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Stephanie Clark – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Megan Beckstead – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Janica Larsen – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Abby Bennett – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Jenny Moellendorf – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Megan Plank – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Anita Renemans – Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49
Laura Trinkle - Academic Achievement, 3.00-3.49

Softball
To be announced after conclusion of season

Tennis, Men
Seth Maristuen – Student-Athlete of the Year

Tennis, Women
Margot Merrill-Johnson – Co-Student-Athlete of the Year
Becky Fry – Co-Student-Athlete of the Year
Brianne Roney – Co-Student-Athlete of the Year
Tia Smith – Co-Student-Athlete of the Year

Volleyball
Olivia Munro – Most Outstanding Player
Alberta Letoa – Most Outstanding Defensive Player
Alicia Cazemier – Most Outstanding Blocker
Andrea Donahue – Most Outstanding Offensive Player
Andrea Donahue – Newcomer of the Year
Olivia Munro – Senior Leadership Award
Cortney Lennan – Most Inspirational Player

Athletics Scholarships
Caitlin Luehr – $1,000 Paul and Patti Gunville Athletic Scholarship
Tiffany Piplica – $1,000 Paul and Patti Gunville Athletic Scholarship
Victor Sargent – $1,000 Paul and Patti Gunville Athletic Scholarship
Kelsey Vinnedge – $1,000 Paul and Patti Gunville Athletic Scholarship
Abby Bennett – $1,000 Frances S. Barker Scholarship
Janica Larsen – $1,000 Frances S. Barker Scholarship
Nicole Salsbery – $1,000 Frances S. Barker Scholarship
Tanner Rienhart – $1,000 Dick Edwards Memorial Scholarship
Diana Davis – $1,000 Athletic Endowed Scholarship
Christy Wankel – $750 Softball Endowed Scholarship
Jay Jamieson – $1,000 Men’s Basketball Endowed Scholarship

CoSIDA Awards
Margot Merrill-Johnson – Academic All-America First Team
Robyn Milne – Academic All-America First Team
Margot Merrill-Johnson – Academic District VII First Team
Robyn Milne – Academic District VII First Team
Jonathan Wiley – Academic District VII First Team