PORTLAND, Ore. – Being recognized for outstanding achievement in the classroom throughout the 2021-22 academic year, 36 student-athletes and three teams from Montana State University Billings were highlighted when the Great Northwest Athletic Conference announced its year end academic awards Monday.
 
The Yellowjackets claimed three academic all-sports team awards, with women's basketball, women's soccer, and women's golf each leading the conference in team grade point average during the year. Individually, 27 women and nine men were named GNAC FAR Scholar-Athletes, a distinction reserved for those who maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.85 or higher.
 
MSUB's women's basketball team claimed its fifth academic all-sports award, holding a 3.66 GPA to stand atop the field of 10 conference teams academically. The lofty team GPA was fueled by five GNAC FAR Scholar Athletes, including senior Shannon Reny who won the honor for the fourth consecutive year with a 3.99 GPA while completing her degree in health and human performance. Dyauni Boyce earned the award for the second straight season, while junior Cariann Kunkel and freshmen Aspen Giese and Chloe Williams were first-time FAR Scholar Athlete recipients.
 
The Yellowjacket women's soccer team had the top GPA in the department with a 3.67, and won the academic all-sports award for the fourth time. Senior Rachel Lythgoe was among eight athletes in the conference to earn the award for the fifth time in their career, as she wrapped up with a perfect 4.0 GPA in public relations. In total, six of the eight women's soccer FAR Scholar Athletes were repeat selections, with senior Haylee Gunter earning her third and Clare Keenan, Clara Lindberg, Emelie Moberg, and Kiley Sandow each claiming their second award. Josie Corbin and Sydney Wate were first-time selections from the women's soccer team.
 
MSUB's women's golf team won its seventh academic all-sports award, carrying a 3.53 team GPA to edge Saint Martin's by three percentage points. Senior Tierney Messmer earned FAR Scholar Athlete status for the fourth consecutive year, after completing her degree in health administration with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Fellow senior Jalen Wagner was also a repeat winner, after finishing her degree in health administration with a 3.91 GPA.
 
The Yellowjacket softball team notched a 3.45 team GPA, and finished third among the academic all-sports list. Shelby Marquardt earned the FAR award for the third time in her career, while Claire Bagnell was a repeat selection and freshman Lauren Blaschak earned the honor in her first collegiate season.
 
Thanks to its three women's team titles, MSUB finished fourth in the women's overall academic all-sports standings with 68 cumulative points.
 
On the men's side, MSUB's soccer team placed third with a 3.41 team GPA which was the highest in the athletic department among male sports. The men's soccer squad featured five FAR Scholar Athletes, including three-time pick Kolten Unrein and repeat winner Ty Vohland. Senior Brad Lowes and freshmen Roddy Lewis and Jack Jarrett were the team's first-time award winners.
 
Among MSUB's other FAR Scholar Athlete award winners was men's basketball senior Sam Elliott, who earned the honor for the third time in his career after completing his degree in finance with a 3.98 GPA. MSUB's baseball team had a pair of repeat selections, with Mason Powell earning his third FAR award and senior Justin Lutz capping his career with his second honor.
 
Marissa Logozzo of the volleyball team was also a third-year recipient of the FAR award, after graduating with a 3.97 GPA in marketing. Her teammate Hannah Hashbarger was the program's other representative on the list, appearing for the first time with a 4.0 GPA in marketing.
 
MSUB's track and field team had eight selections – with William Ullery joining seven female selections. Bossan Abdyyeva was the track team's lone repeat selection, winning the FAR award for the second time thanks to a 3.97 GPA in political science. The track team's first-time selections included Sophia Bohl, Annelise Clark, Brynn Jolma, Danara Tulimaiau, Kit Wiersema, and Abbi Zent.
 
Central Washington University won the overall academic all-sports award with 155 points, while Saint Martin's had the top men's score with 76 points and Seattle Pacific topped the women's standings with 92 points.
 
A faculty athletic representative (FAR) is a member of the faculty at an NCAA member institution who has been designated to serve as a liaison between the institution's faculty and the athletic department. The FAR serves as a representative of the institution in conference and NCAA affairs. The role of the FAR is "to ensure that the academic institution establishes and maintains the appropriate balance between academics and athletics."