Great Lakes Wire

The seventh annual Wildcat Awards are scheduled for April 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. Since 2019, these awards have recognized the achievements of NMU student-athletes, coaches, and teams demonstrating excellence each season. This year's ceremony, like its predecessors, will be available live on the NMU Wildcats YouTube page at no cost.

Coaches put forward nominations, with the exception of the Team of the Year category, for the award entries. The Wildcat Awards committee determines the winning individuals or teams and selects the Northern Michigan Coach of the Year.

Key nominees for the Best Individual Record-Breaking Performance include Camilla Carbone for Women's Swim & Dive, Leo Nolles for Men's Swim & Dive, Kayla Tierney for Women's Basketball, Jacqueline Smith for Volleyball, Brooke Pietila for Women's Soccer, and Josie Lakosky for Lacrosse.

The Best Team Record-Breaking Performance nominations feature the Women's Swim & Dive team, Men's Swim & Dive team, and Women's Soccer team.

Nominations for Moment of the Year are varied and include achievements by Maggie Pietila, Men's Basketball, Women's Swim & Dive, Women's Alpine Skiing, Men's Alpine Skiing, Women's Basketball, Men's Soccer, Volleyball, Women's Soccer, and Track & Field.

For Best Play of the Year, nominees include standout performances by Maggie Pietila, Dylan Kuehl, the Women's Swim & Dive team, Men's Swim & Dive team, Women's Alpine Skiing, Men's Alpine Skiing, Women's Basketball, Men's Soccer, Women's Soccer, and Gianna Hoving.

The Brian Franks "Too Strong" Award for males considers nominees such as Tyler Annala, Brian Parzych, Leo Nolles, and Tommaso Lami. In the female category, nominees include Payton Donnelly, Jacey Johnson, Sarah Newcomer, Justina L'Esperance, and Merle Richter.

The Humanitarian of the Year award nominees include Hailey Bolander, Jackson Dudek, Patrick Andrews, Maya Bubolz, Kayla Tierney, Ruby Joseph, Ahna Larson, Taylor Priestley, and Mia Strazny.

Gildo Canale Outstanding Senior nominees for males include Russel Sprecher, Jackson Dudek, Patrick Andrews, Andrew Truman, Logan Lazar, Payton Jacobson, and Kristoffer Karsrud. Female nominees include Payton Dube, Camilla Carbone, Ella Wichert, Alyssa Nimz, Meghan Meyer, Sharon Leon, Brooke Pietila, Skylar Grubb, Ahna Larson, Merle Richter, and Dayna Carlson.

Nominees for Team of the Year include Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Women's Alpine Skiing, Men's Alpine Skiing, Men's Swim & Dive, Women's Swim & Dive, and Women's Soccer.

For Newcomer of the Year, male nominees are Gunnar Hamre, Kyan Hopke, Gerald Gittens Jr., Jahi Wood, Levi Pennala, Jakub Altrichter, Quint Van Roij, and Benaiah Schnurstein. Female nominees include Marisa Witte, Alyssa Hill, Celia Wallace, Maddy Martens, Katelyn Wozney, Lena Kjelstrup, Sally Patton, Elena Curti, Alayna Vandegriff, Madison York, and Sara Schroder.

Breakthrough Athlete of the Year nominees for males include Patrick Curran, Mitchell Forsberg, Cal Klesmit, Jax Hertel, Walter Ylitalo, Tanner Latsch, Jonathan Clarke, Davian Gumbs, and Daniel Khmara. Female nominees include Maddy Stern, Abi Fraaza, Dani Van Lente, Maggie Pietila, Maddi Bast, Jordan Parent, Hannah Kastamo, Kalina Ceglinski, Teiolla Harvey, Allie Barlow, and Alissa Caltagirone.

The Scholar-Athlete of the Year nominees for males are Jimmy Hustoles, Colin Dehart, Jackson Dudek, Michael Karlen, Joe Luke, Hendrik Peterson, Tommaso Lami, and Kyle Griswold. Female nominees include Reagan Olli, Alyssa Nimz, Lamar Gordon, Olivia Brill, Dayna Carlson, Victoria Dybwad, Brooke Pietila, Mia Strazny, Emma Sweeney, Meghan Meyer, and Zhivanna Magdaleno.

MVP nominees for Males include Payton Jacobson, Aaron Grzelak, Dylan Kuehl, Jax Hertel, Arthur Ylitalo, Ryan Ouellette, Adrik Kraftson, Alessandro Scialanga, and Leo Nolles. Female MVP nominees are Reagan Olli, Jacy Weisbrod, Gianna Hoving, Maddy Martens, Josie Lakosky, Victoria Dybwad, Brooke Pietila, Becca Burrows, Ellyse Wolfrath, Jacqueline Smith, and Yu Sakamoto.