Scholar-athletes honored at annual banquet
4/30/2026 9:58:00 AM | General
The Montana men's tennis team took home the Dusten Hollist Award on Tuesday night as part of the annual Grizzly Scholar-Athlete Banquet.
Tom Bittner of the men's tennis team and Erin Wilde of the women's track and field program won this year's Grizzly Cup, and five student-athletes were presented with the President's Award.
Jason Brown's men's tennis team, annually in contention to win the Big Sky Conference championship, won the Dusten Hollist Award for the eighth consecutive year.
The award is presented to the UM team with the highest GPA over the previous two semesters. Brown's Grizzlies had a 3.82 GPA for the 2025 spring semester, a 3.80 GPA for the 2025 fall semester.
The President's Award goes to the male and female student-athletes who have the highest cumulative GPA at the close of the previous fall semester.
Winners of the award must have been enrolled and on a team at Montana for the previous three semesters. All five winners of this year's President's Award have a 4.00 cumulative GPA.
Male winners of this year's President's Award were Tom Bittner (Management and Information Systems) of the men's tennis team and Clay Oven (Criminology) of the football team.
Female winners were Lily Meskers (Journalism) of the women's track and field team and Hayley Bass (Accounting) and Bayliss Flynn (Journalism) of the soccer team.
Also at Tuesday's banquet, Montana's 2026-27 scholarship recipients were announced:
William (Robi) Robertson Memorial Scholarship -- Danny Sirmon (Football)
Bill Ruegamer Scholarship -- Bella Johnson (Golf)
Robin Selvig Lady Griz Basketball Scholarship -- Aby Shubert (Women's Basketball)
Brian and Karen Sippy Scholarship -- Kevin Swindler (Men's Track & Field)
Ken Staninger Memorial Scholarship -- Isaac Keim (Football)
B. Tim Stark Memorial Track & Field Scholarship -- Karsen Beitz (Men's Track & Field)
Larry and Kristin Stayner Family Athletic Scholarship -- Lucie Rokos (Soccer)
Stockman Bank Scholarship -- Bridger Smith (Football)
Max and Betty Swanson Athletic Scholarship -- Easton Brotherson (Men's Track & Field)
Kole Swartz Legacy Scholarship -- Grady Walker (Football)
John Van Heuvelen Memorial Athletic Scholarship -- Hayley Bass (Soccer)
Clark Wilson Memorial Scholarship -- Kaiana Kong (Softball)
Douglas LeBrun Track and Field Scholarship -- Hannah Moses (Women's Track & Field)
Tim Long Intercollegiate Athletics Scholarship -- Ian Finch (Football)
Katherine Markette-John Schuler Scholarship -- Awarded to deserving WBB student-athletes for summer
Markovich Family Athletic Scholarship -- Paige Bott (Women's Tennis), Duncan McCall (Men's Tennis)
Colleen Marks Athletic Scholarship -- Kade Boyd (Football)
Moose Miller Football Scholarship -- Jake Mason (Football)
Nikes & Ties Endowed Scholarship -- Callie Wilson (Women's Track & Field)
Bob & Adeline O'Conner Memorial Scholarship -- Gracie Cagle (Volleyball)
Lefty Monson Family Men's Basketball Scholarship -- Connor Dick (Men's Basketball)
Erik Ogren Memorial Scholarship -- Kate Prichard (Women's Tennis)
John L. Olson Family Scholarship -- Eli Gillman (Football)
Jim Powell Memorial Scholarship-Men's Basketball -- Amari Jedkins (Men's Basketball)
David and Goldie Enger Athletic Scholarship -- Sydney Pierce (Volleyball)
Dean Erhard Athletic Award in Cross Country and Track -- Carson Steckelberg (Men's Track & Field)
Fernandez, Colter, Bush Legacy Scholarship -- Keali'i Ah Yat (Football)
Mike & Cathie Frellick Lady Griz Basketball Scholarship -- Rae Ehrman (Women's Basketball)
Julie Deming Memorial Scholarship -- Avery Waddington (Women's Basketball)
GSA License Plate Scholarship -- Anna Cockhill (Softball), Tanner Huff (Football)
Janet and Michelle Hainline Scholarship -- Brooke Stayner (Women's Track & Field)
Harrington Family Athletic Scholarship -- Tara Ohlwiler (Women's Track & Field)
Dusten Hollist Memorial Scholarship -- Anna Stensrud (Golf)
Jacobson Family Athletic Scholarship -- Caiden Sekuterski (Men's Track & Field)
Sylvia Jensen Athletic Scholarship -- Mia Parkhurst (Soccer)
John Kolendich Memorial Scholarship -- Awarded to deserving student-athletes for degree completion
Larry & Jan Krystkowiak Men's Basketball Scholarship -- Awarded to a deserving student-athlete in men's basketball
Ernest L. and Ruth A. Kradolfer Athletic Scholarship -- Draya Wacker (Women's Basketball)
Col. Thomas M. Alison, USAF (Ret.) Memorial Scholarship -- Chase Cook (Football)
Harriet Anderson Memorial Athletic Scholarship -- Nyeala Herndon (Softball)
Babsie Bishop Endowed Scholarship -- Kenyon Aguino (Men's Basketball)
Ronald and Julia Blake Memorial Scholarship -- Torin Jeske (Football), Katherine Lewis (Golf), Alex Shields (Men's Track & Field), Liv Thorne-Thomsen (Soccer)
Blaine and Ellen Bloomgren Family Scholarship -- Adria Lincoln (Women's Basketball)
Bill and Phyllis Bouchee Family Football Scholarship -- Clay Oven (Football)
Bowman STEM Scholarship -- Ava Puttler (Softball)
Erika Camp Memorial Athletic Scholarship -- Kennedy Gillette (Women's Basketball)
Melinda and Herb Depp Athletic Scholarship -- Awarded to deserving student-athletes for summer school
The Pat Dolan Memorial Football Scholarship -- Tanner Huff (Football)
Lawrence A. (Bugs) Dwyer Memorial Scholarship -- Peyton Wing (Football)
The Michael Dwyer & Susan Alley Softball Scholarship -- Anna Cockhill (Softball)
Ekegren Education Scholarship -- Jenna Barney (Softball)
Tom Bittner of the men's tennis team and Erin Wilde of the women's track and field program won this year's Grizzly Cup, and five student-athletes were presented with the President's Award.
Jason Brown's men's tennis team, annually in contention to win the Big Sky Conference championship, won the Dusten Hollist Award for the eighth consecutive year.
The award is presented to the UM team with the highest GPA over the previous two semesters. Brown's Grizzlies had a 3.82 GPA for the 2025 spring semester, a 3.80 GPA for the 2025 fall semester.
The President's Award goes to the male and female student-athletes who have the highest cumulative GPA at the close of the previous fall semester.
Winners of the award must have been enrolled and on a team at Montana for the previous three semesters. All five winners of this year's President's Award have a 4.00 cumulative GPA.
Male winners of this year's President's Award were Tom Bittner (Management and Information Systems) of the men's tennis team and Clay Oven (Criminology) of the football team.
Female winners were Lily Meskers (Journalism) of the women's track and field team and Hayley Bass (Accounting) and Bayliss Flynn (Journalism) of the soccer team.
Also at Tuesday's banquet, Montana's 2026-27 scholarship recipients were announced:
William (Robi) Robertson Memorial Scholarship -- Danny Sirmon (Football)
Bill Ruegamer Scholarship -- Bella Johnson (Golf)
Robin Selvig Lady Griz Basketball Scholarship -- Aby Shubert (Women's Basketball)
Brian and Karen Sippy Scholarship -- Kevin Swindler (Men's Track & Field)
Ken Staninger Memorial Scholarship -- Isaac Keim (Football)
B. Tim Stark Memorial Track & Field Scholarship -- Karsen Beitz (Men's Track & Field)
Larry and Kristin Stayner Family Athletic Scholarship -- Lucie Rokos (Soccer)
Stockman Bank Scholarship -- Bridger Smith (Football)
Max and Betty Swanson Athletic Scholarship -- Easton Brotherson (Men's Track & Field)
Kole Swartz Legacy Scholarship -- Grady Walker (Football)
John Van Heuvelen Memorial Athletic Scholarship -- Hayley Bass (Soccer)
Clark Wilson Memorial Scholarship -- Kaiana Kong (Softball)
Douglas LeBrun Track and Field Scholarship -- Hannah Moses (Women's Track & Field)
Tim Long Intercollegiate Athletics Scholarship -- Ian Finch (Football)
Katherine Markette-John Schuler Scholarship -- Awarded to deserving WBB student-athletes for summer
Markovich Family Athletic Scholarship -- Paige Bott (Women's Tennis), Duncan McCall (Men's Tennis)
Colleen Marks Athletic Scholarship -- Kade Boyd (Football)
Moose Miller Football Scholarship -- Jake Mason (Football)
Nikes & Ties Endowed Scholarship -- Callie Wilson (Women's Track & Field)
Bob & Adeline O'Conner Memorial Scholarship -- Gracie Cagle (Volleyball)
Lefty Monson Family Men's Basketball Scholarship -- Connor Dick (Men's Basketball)
Erik Ogren Memorial Scholarship -- Kate Prichard (Women's Tennis)
John L. Olson Family Scholarship -- Eli Gillman (Football)
Jim Powell Memorial Scholarship-Men's Basketball -- Amari Jedkins (Men's Basketball)
David and Goldie Enger Athletic Scholarship -- Sydney Pierce (Volleyball)
Dean Erhard Athletic Award in Cross Country and Track -- Carson Steckelberg (Men's Track & Field)
Fernandez, Colter, Bush Legacy Scholarship -- Keali'i Ah Yat (Football)
Mike & Cathie Frellick Lady Griz Basketball Scholarship -- Rae Ehrman (Women's Basketball)
Julie Deming Memorial Scholarship -- Avery Waddington (Women's Basketball)
GSA License Plate Scholarship -- Anna Cockhill (Softball), Tanner Huff (Football)
Janet and Michelle Hainline Scholarship -- Brooke Stayner (Women's Track & Field)
Harrington Family Athletic Scholarship -- Tara Ohlwiler (Women's Track & Field)
Dusten Hollist Memorial Scholarship -- Anna Stensrud (Golf)
Jacobson Family Athletic Scholarship -- Caiden Sekuterski (Men's Track & Field)
Sylvia Jensen Athletic Scholarship -- Mia Parkhurst (Soccer)
John Kolendich Memorial Scholarship -- Awarded to deserving student-athletes for degree completion
Larry & Jan Krystkowiak Men's Basketball Scholarship -- Awarded to a deserving student-athlete in men's basketball
Ernest L. and Ruth A. Kradolfer Athletic Scholarship -- Draya Wacker (Women's Basketball)
Col. Thomas M. Alison, USAF (Ret.) Memorial Scholarship -- Chase Cook (Football)
Harriet Anderson Memorial Athletic Scholarship -- Nyeala Herndon (Softball)
Babsie Bishop Endowed Scholarship -- Kenyon Aguino (Men's Basketball)
Ronald and Julia Blake Memorial Scholarship -- Torin Jeske (Football), Katherine Lewis (Golf), Alex Shields (Men's Track & Field), Liv Thorne-Thomsen (Soccer)
Blaine and Ellen Bloomgren Family Scholarship -- Adria Lincoln (Women's Basketball)
Bill and Phyllis Bouchee Family Football Scholarship -- Clay Oven (Football)
Bowman STEM Scholarship -- Ava Puttler (Softball)
Erika Camp Memorial Athletic Scholarship -- Kennedy Gillette (Women's Basketball)
Melinda and Herb Depp Athletic Scholarship -- Awarded to deserving student-athletes for summer school
The Pat Dolan Memorial Football Scholarship -- Tanner Huff (Football)
Lawrence A. (Bugs) Dwyer Memorial Scholarship -- Peyton Wing (Football)
The Michael Dwyer & Susan Alley Softball Scholarship -- Anna Cockhill (Softball)
Ekegren Education Scholarship -- Jenna Barney (Softball)
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