Grizzly Athletics honors academic standouts at annual Scholar-Awards Banquet

For the seventh consecutive year, Montana men's tennis has posted the highest cumulative GPA of any team in Grizzly Athletics to earn the coveted Dusten Hollist Award.

That, and the seven recipients of the President's Award for the department's highest individual GPAs highlighted the 31^st annual Grizzly Scholar-Athlete Banquet on Tuesday at the UC Ballroom on the University of Montana campus.

The banquet celebrates the accomplishments of UM's student-athletes that have dedicated themselves to success in the classroom and in competition, with each in attendance earning an average 3.0 GPA or better in the 2024 calendar year.

Thanks to the generosity of dozens of donors, 50 different scholarships were also divided between 54 deserving student-athletes at the banquet.

It was another stellar year for the Grizzlies in their scholarly pursuits. Of the nearly 330 of Montana's student-athletes, nearly all of them – 254 to be exact – posted a 3.0 or better.

Men's tennis doubled up on major awards for a second-straight year, winning the Hollist Award with a combined 3.80 average GPA in 2024, and junior Tom Bittner becoming a two-time winner of the men's President's Award with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

The Grizzly netters have had a historic season on the court as well, winning the program's first Big Sky championship in over a decade under Big Sky Coach of the Year Jason Brown, and Bittner being named Big Sky Tournament MVP. Montana will also play in the first round of the NCAA Men's Tennis Tournament in Austin, Texas, this coming weekend.

The Dusten Hollist Award was named in 2019 after the former faculty athletic representative who passed away that year. Men's tennis was the first team to be presented with the Hollist Award and has continued to win it ever since. All 10 of this year's squad members achieved a 3.0 or better GPA.

The UM President's Award is presented to the male and female student-athletes who achieved the highest undergraduate GPA for the previous two semesters.

Bittner, a management and information systems major, was one of three male and four female recipients of this year's award.

Football player Clay Oven of Billings and Adam Shoff of men's basketball were the other male co-recipients.

Grace Haegele and Makena Strong of softball and Lily Meskers of track and field each became two-time recipients of the female President's Award along with first time winner Bayliss Flynn of soccer.

2025 Grizzly Athletics Scholarship Recipients

William (Robi) Robertson Memorial Scholarship
Jaxon Tucker

Robin Selvig Lady Griz Basketball Scholarship
Draya Wacker

Brian and Karen Sippy Scholarship
Chloe Seelhoff

Ken Staninger Memorial Scholarship
Hayden Opitz

B. Tim Stark Memorial Track & Field Scholarship
Ainsley Shipman

Larry and Kristin Stayner Family Athletic Scholarship
Kelsey Phillips

Stockman Bank Scholarship
Cody Schweikert

Max and Betty Swanson Athletic Scholarship
Awarded to deserving student-athletes for degree completion

Kole Swartz Legacy Scholarship
Kash Goicoechea

John Van Heuvelen Memorial Athletic Scholarship
Chloe Saxton

Mike and Margaret Wagner Football Scholarship
Liam Brown

Clark Wilson Memorial Scholarship
Tom Bittner

Douglas LeBrun Track and Field Scholarship
Hannah Moses

Katherine Markette-John Schuler Scholarship
Aby Shubert

Markovich Family Athletic Scholarship
Patrick Kremer
Sveva Sweeney

Colleen Marks Athletic Scholarship
Clay Oven

Moose Miller Football Scholarship
Eli Gillman

Bob & Adeline O'Conner Memorial Scholarship
Bayliss Flynn

Lefty Monson Family Men's Basketball Scholarship
Chase Henderson

Erik Ogren Memorial Scholarship
Alexis Batezel

John L. Olson Family Scholarship
Kyon Loud

Jim Powell Memorial Scholarship-Men's Basketball
Te'Jon Sawyer

David and Goldie Enger Athletic Scholarship
Eliza Bentler

Dean Erhard Athletic Award in Cross Country and Track
Lane Cole

Fernandez, Colter, Bush Legacy Scholarship
Dillon Botner

Mike & Cathie Frellick Lady Griz Basketball Scholarship
Adria Lincoln

Julie Deming Memorial Scholarship
Avery Waddington

GSA License Plate Scholarship
Drew Deck
Erin Wilde

Janet and Michelle Hainline Scholarship
Elle Higgins

Harrington Family Athletic Scholarship
Gracie Cagle

Dusten Hollist Memorial Scholarship
Carson Steckelberg

Sylvia Jensen Athletic Scholarship
Lily Meskers

Herb Jones Memorial Scholarship
Connor Dick

John Kolendich Memorial Scholarship
Casi Newman

Larry & Jan Krystkowiak Men's Basketball Scholarship
Tyler Thompson

Ernest L. and Ruth A. Kradolfer Athletic Scholarship
Awarded to deserving student-athletes for degree completion

Col. Thomas M. Alison, USAF (Ret.) Memorial Scholarship
Cy Stevenson

Harriet Anderson Memorial Athletic Scholarship
Nyeala Herndon

Ronald and Julia Blake Memorial Scholarship
Reagan Brisendine
Anna Cockhill
Sydney Pierce
Alex Shields
Brooke Stayner

Blaine and Ellen Bloomgren Family Scholarship
Awarded to deserving student-athletes for degree completion

Bill and Phyllis Bouchee Family Football Scholarship
TJ Rausch

Bowman STEM Scholarship
Hailey Boer

Erika Camp Memorial Athletic Scholarship
Alex Pirog

Melinda and Herb Depp Athletic Scholarship
Awarded to deserving student-athletes for summer school

The Pat Dolan Memorial Football Scholarship
Jake Olson

Lawrence A. (Bugs) Dwyer Memorial Scholarship
Easton Brotherson

The Michael Dwyer & Susan Alley Softball Scholarship
Madison Tarrant

Ekegren Education Scholarship
Grace Haegele

Grizzly Athletics would like to thank the generous scholarship donors below that will see their scholarships awarded for summer school and degree completion.
National Advisory Board for Grizzly Athletics (NABGA) Scholarship
Melinda and Herb Depp Athletic Scholarship
Max and Betty Swanson Memorial Athletic Scholarship
Katherine Markette-John Schuler Scholarship
Ernest L. and Ruth A. Kradolfer Athletic Scholarship

University of Montana Athletics

Grizzly Athletics honors academic standouts at annual Scholar-Awards Banquet

Players Mentioned

Tom Bittner

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