BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings athletic department celebrated it's 13^th annual Buzzie Awards Wednesday night, celebrating and recognizing the achievements and accomplishments of MSUB's teams and student-athletes during the 2024-25 academic year.
 
The Yellowjacket women's basketball team earned Team of the Year honors for the fourth consecutive season, celebrating another season of success where the team won 25 games, qualifying once more for the GNAC Tournament and NCAA West Regional Tournament. Also earning a top honor from women's basketball was senior Dyauni Boyce, who was voted as the department's Female Athlete of the Year, following a season in which she was awarded First Team All-GNAC, Second Team All-West Region, and Honorable Mention All-American honors. Boyce's selection marked the eighth Women's Athlete of the Year selection for women's basketball, and second consecutive pick for a women's basketball athlete.
 
Winning Male Athlete of the Year was Kael Robinson from men's basketball, who became the third ever winner of the award for men's basketball, and marked four consecutive selections for the men's team. Robinson made his impact felt in his lone season with MSUB, receiving First Team All-GNAC and All-GNAC Tournament Team honors while leading the league in total points, and finishing second in rebounds and blocks.
 
The department's Coach of the Year Award was given to baseball head coach Derek Waddoups. Waddoups has guided the Yellowjacket baseball team, who are currently in the midst of a resurgent season with two weeks remaining in conference play, to a 27-13 record, the program's most wins since the 2019 season and a ten win increase from last season, while also punching their ticket to the GNAC Championships in May for the first time since the 2022 season.
 
Sticking with baseball, Sam Coxen was awarded the Buzzie for Freshman of the Year, becoming the first ever baseball player to win the award. Coxen has emerged as one of the 'Jackets top arms on the mound this season, pitching the second most innings of any Yellowjacket while collecting a 6-2 record, striking out 38 batters and holding an ERA of 4.22.
 
Newcomer of the Year was awarded to So Nagano of the men's soccer team, who led the line for the Yellowjackets in the 2024 season with a team-high 11 goals and 23 points. Nagano finished second in the GNAC in both goals and points this past year, entered the top ten in program history for goals in a single season, and earned All-GNAC First Team and All-West Region Second Team honors.
 
Breakout Player of the Year honors were awarded to softball standout Bryn Lucht, marking the first time a softball player has received the award. The sophomore Lucht has emerged this season as one of the top power threats in the GNAC, leading the conference in home runs with 14 and slugging percentage at .832 heading into the final week of regular season action.
 
Jahsita Fa'ali'i from the Yellowjacket volleyball team was awarded Comeback Player of the Year. After sustaining an injury that kept her out of the 2023 season, the senior returned for her final season this past year, leading the Yellowjackets in service aces with 33, and ranking second in kills with 262 and digs with 264.
 
Fa'ali'i and the rest of the MSUB volleyball team would also be awarded the Yellowjacket Award for Service during the ceremony, in recognition of the program's Kids Night/Toss a Teddy game hosted back in September against Rocky. The team came up with the idea for the event, collecting nearly 100 stuffed animals during the game, which they then delivered to children in the pediatrics unit at the hospital.
 
The Moment/Play of the Year was awarded to Jajuan Tot, in recognition of his electric half-court buzzer beater at the GNAC Championships in March. Tot's heroics would give MSUB a 79-78 victory over Western Washington, giving the Yellowjackets their first postseason win since 2012. Meanwhile, The Game/Event of the Year awards was received by both the men's and women's golf teams, for their exceptional performance at the Hardrocker Invitational this past September. Both teams would claim first place at the meet, marking the first time in MSUB history that both teams won the same tournament. On the individual side, MSUB would claim both first place finishers, with the men collecting the top three finishers at the tournament, and the women putting four finishers in the top six places.
 
The Yellowjacket Career Achievement Award, in recognition of an athlete's career achievements during their time at MSUB, was received by Kortney Nelson, following a five-year career with the women's basketball team. Nelson finished her career this past season with the 'Jackets, guiding the team to 100 total wins across five seasons while helping MSUB reach four GNAC Tournaments, three West Regional Tournaments, and a run to the Sweet 16 in the 2023-24 campaign. Nelson earned All-GNAC honors four different times in her career, including three consecutive All-Conference Second Team nods, along with becoming the program's second ever GNAC Defensive Player of the Year winner, and leaves the program with her name plastered across the record books.
 
On the academic side of things, Vivien Guese of the Yellowjacket women's soccer program was awarded the Scholar Athlete of the Year award, recognizing the graduating senior with the highest cumulative GPA throughout the department. Meanwhile, a pair of new awards were given out to recognize the top team GPA's for both the men's and women's sports in the department, with baseball and women's basketball taking home the honors. The Buzzies for Outstanding Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Members went to Zack Blaszak and Jazlyn Kalehuawehe. Finally, Fan of the Year was given to Shiloh Skillen-Robison, the Associate Director for University Communications & Marketing, for her support of Yellowjacket Athletics as both a fan and a staff athletics photographer.
 
The Buzzies were founded during the 2012-23 academic year, and are presented annually to recognize the best individual and team achievements across MSUB athletics over the year in sports. A complete listing of the 2025 award winners is listed below, while a complete listing of all-time Buzzie winners can be found online here.
 
Female Athlete of the Year
Dyauni Boyce, Women's Basketball
 
Male Athlete of the Year
Kael Robinson, Men's Basketball
 
Coach of the Year
Derek Waddoups, Baseball
 
Team of the Year
Women's Basketball
 
Yellowjacket Award for Service
Volleyball, For their work in creating the team's Kids Night/Toss a Teddy game
 
Male Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Award
Zack Blaszak, Baseball
 
Female Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Award
Jazlyn Kalehuawehe, Softball
 
Scholar Athlete of the Year
Vivien Guese, Women's Soccer
 
Fan of the Year
Shiloh Skillen-Robison, Associate Director of University Communications & Marketing/Athletics Photographer
 
Career Achievement Award
Kortney Nelson, Women's Basketball
 
Freshman of the Year
Sam Coxen, Baseball
 
Newcomer of the Year
So Nagano,, Men's Soccer
 
Breakout Player of the Year
Bryn Lucht, Softball
 
Comeback Player of the Year
Jahsita Fa'ali'i, Volleyball
 
Student Support Staff Worker of the Year
Mya Washington
 
Game/Event of the Year
Men's & Women's Golf – Swept team and individual titles for the first time in program history at Hardrocker Invitational
 
Moment/Play of the Year
Jajuan Tot – Hits half-court buzzer-beater to defeat Western Washington at GNAC Championships
 
Baseball Player of the Year
Jack Nehler
 
Cheerleader/Stuntman of the Year
Portia Spencer

Men's Basketball Player of the Year
Kael Robinson
 
Men's Golf Player of the Year
Ryan Badger
 
Men's Soccer Player of the Year
So Nagano
 
Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
Isaac Perkins
 
Softball Player of the Year
Marleigh Nieto
 
Volleyball Player of the Year
Christine Funk
 
Women's Basketball Player of the Year
Dyauni Boyce
 
Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year
Cecily Eagleton
 
Women's Golf Player of the Year
Orraya Tipasathien
 
Women's Soccer Player of the Year
Liberty Palmer
 
Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Year
Hannah Cooper