NAU Athletics Celebrates Year’s Finest at twelfth Annual Louie’s Awards

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (April 27, 2026) – The twelfth annual Louie’s Awards introduced by Desert Financial Credit Union and the Northern Arizona University Student-Athlete Advisory Committee was held Sunday night time at Prochnow Auditorium to rejoice the very best of NAU Athletics. The awards coated the spring 2025, fall 2025 and winter 2026 seasons.
 
Men’s distance runner Colin Sahlman was the large particular person winner on the night time, claiming the Male Athlete of the Year and Individual Record-Breaking Performance. Sahlman gained the person Big Sky cross nation title and earned cross nation All-American honors by inserting sixteenth within the nation.
 

He had a fair larger indoor monitor & discipline season, capturing the person nationwide title within the 3,000 meters and anchoring the nationwide championship distance medley relay crew. Sahlman additionally set the collegiate file within the 800 meters on the Millrose Games, breaking a file that stood for over 20 years.
 

Diver Grace Wesche was named NAU’s Female Athlete of the Year after competing on the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships on each the 1-meter and 3-meter springboards. Wesche positioned twenty first on 3-meter, incomes the highest-ever particular person end by an NAU diver on the nationwide stage.
 
The NAU volleyball crew, coming off their Big Sky common season championship marketing campaign within the fall, claimed 5 awards on the night time together with Female Team of the Year and Team Record-Breaking Performance. Keira Hall (Silent Leader), Lilly Holmes (Female Ironjack) and Ken Murphy (Coach of the Year) had been additionally named particular person winners.
 
Outside of competitors, the Louie’s additionally acknowledged excellent accomplishments within the classroom as distance runner Cael Grotenhuis and swimmer Elsa Musselman had been named the Male and Female William M. “Bill” Clements Top Scholars. The Lumberjack soccer crew gained the Sharp Axe Award for having the highest crew GPA and golfer Lizzie Neale was the Desert Financial Credit Union Jack of All Traits awardee for her dedication within the classroom and in competitors, in addition to group and management involvement.
 
Academic excellence is exemplified by all Lumberjack applications with a complete of 246 student-athletes holding no less than a 3.00 cumulative grade level common. For a full record of student-athletes, click on this hyperlink.
 
For a full record of the 2025-26 Louie’s award recipients, see the record under.
 

Male Rookie of the Year: Josiah Johnson, Track & Field
Female Rookie of the Year: Naomi White, Women’s Basketball
Sharp Axe Award: Soccer
Silent Leader: Keira Hall, Volleyball
Coach of the Year: Ken Murphy, Volleyball
Return of the Jack: Micala Boex, Soccer

Male Athlete of the Year: Colin Sahlman, Cross Country/Track & Field

Female Athlete of the Year: Grace Wesche, Swimming & Diving
Leading the Jacks Award: Sheridan Cook, Assistant AD for Student-Athlete Services (Compliance)

Record-Breaking Performance (Individual): Colin Sahlman, Cross Country/Track & Field
Record-Breaking Performance (Team): Volleyball
Male Ironjack: Noa Tcherniack, Men’s Tennis
Female Ironjack: Lilly Holmes, Volleyball
Desert Financial Credit Union Jack of All Traits Award: Lizzie Neale, Golf

Male Team of the Year: Men’s Indoor Track & Field
Female Team of the Year: Volleyball

William M. “Bill” Clements Top Scholars: Cael Grotenhuis, Cross Country/Track & Field; Elsa Musselman, Swimming & Diving
 

Gallery: (4-27-2026) Louie’s 2026