Basketball’s Dylan Kuehl, Football’s Noah Dobert win two honors
The Wildcat Awards are yearly awards presented to student-athletes, coaches, and teams demonstrating excellence throughout the season.
Best Individual Record-Breaking Performance
Noah Dobert – Football
Noah Dobert closed the regular season with one of the most dominant individual performances in program history. In a 45-11 win over Wayne State, Dobert rushed for a program-record 406 yards and four touchdowns on 32 carries, breaking the previous mark of 317 set in 2007. It was one of the top five single-game rushing totals in Division II history. His performance earned him both GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week and the D2Football.com Offensive Player of the Week, marking the first time a Wildcat has received that honor. Dobert’s historic season included a new NMU single-season rushing record with 1,681 yards, surpassing the previous record of 1,505, while finishing third nationally in both total rushing yards and rushing yards per game. Congratulations, Noah!
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Best Team Record-Breaking Performance
Men’s Basketball
The men’s basketball team completed a historic 2025-26 season, setting a new program benchmark with 28 victories. The Wildcats captured their fourth consecutive GLIAC championship and hosted the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed. Under head coach Matt Majkrzak, who was named GLIAC Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons, Northern climbed as high as No. 10 in the NABC National Poll, its highest ranking since 1993, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year. The record-setting season was fueled by standout performances across the roster, including a historic campaign from graduate Dylan Kuehl, as this group cemented its place among the program’s all-time great teams. Congratulations to the NMU men’s basketball team!
Moment of the Year
Men’s Soccer – The Snow Game
As the men’s soccer team was set to host the first GLIAC tournament game in program history, Marquette had other plans, dropping nearly half a foot of snow overnight. What started with the goalkeeper coach and his dad shoveling by themselves before the sun came up, soon turned into nearly one hundred friends, family, coaches, student athletes, and Marquette community members with shovels, and by 1 p.m., the field was ready. What followed was nearly four hours of playoff soccer; an incredible, emotional, exhausting match that Marquette will never forget, as the Wildcats advanced to the next round of the playoffs thanks to a successful penalty kick session. The Wildcats would go on to win the program’s first GLIAC Tournament championship and first NCAA Tournament appearance, and it wouldn’t have been possible if not for the support that came before and during this memorable match.
Play of the Year
Noah Dobert – Football
Noah Dobert delivered the Play of the Year, powering in the game-winning two-point conversion in the fourth overtime to lift the Wildcats past Davenport, 47-45, in an instant classic. In a game that matched the longest in program history, the Wildcats and Panthers traded scores in overtime before a Davenport fumble opened the door for Northern. Dobert seized the opportunity, plunging into the end zone to cap a four-touchdown, 243-yard performance and secure the walk-off victory. Congratulations, Noah!
Brian Franks ‘Too Strong’ Award (Male)
Sam Privet – Men’s Basketball
Sam Privet is the recipient of the Brian Franks “Too Strong” Award, a testament to his resilience throughout his career. Despite being told he might never be able to play college basketball due to lung complications, Privet defied the odds and went on to appear in 133 games. A key contributor to the Wildcats’ record-setting 28-7 season, he played in all 35 games while establishing himself as one of the most efficient shooters in program history, finishing his career shooting 56.7 percent from the field. Privet’s journey embodies the spirit of Brian Franks, showing what it means to be “Too Strong” in the face of challenges. Congratulations, Brian!
Brian Franks “Too Strong” Award (Female)
Lauren Esposito – Lacrosse
Lauren came to NMU and earned the impressed the coaching staff, earning the starting goalie job as a freshman, but a rare condition in her brain became too much for daily tasks and competition. Lauren had two major brain surgeries during her sophomore year, and was unsure if she would ever be able to play lacrosse again. Lauren has now fully recovered and returned back to competition, regaining her starting position less than one year later. This season between the pipes as a junior, Lauren has set a career-best mark in wins and has surpassed 300 career saves, becoming only the second Wildcat goalie to do so in their collegiate career at NMU, continuing a career defined by grit and resilience. Congratulations, Lauren!
Humanitarian of the Year
Kate Langworthy – Cross Country
Recognizing her exceptional leadership and service within the athletic department and the Marquette community, Kate Langworthy is named the Humanitarian of the Year. As SAAC President, she helped guide NMU to one of the top fundraising totals in the country for the Make-A-Wish Foundation while organizing numerous initiatives, including a department-wide fall tailgate. Also a representative on GLIAC SAAC, Langworthy’s impact extends beyond athletics through her leadership in Athletes in Action, involvement on the Athletic Council, and continued service with Marquette Special Olympics, Green Athletics, and Cats Connect. She was also selected as one of 200 student-athletes throughout all three divisions to attend the Career in Sport Forum. Congratulations, Kate!
Team Community Engagement Award
Alpine Skiing
The NMU alpine ski team went above and beyond in their acts of community engagement this academic year, culminating over 900 hours of community service this year. The Wildcats could have been found all over the Marquette area this year, most notably volunteering at aid stations for the Marquette Marathon, raking leaves for the elderly during Make a Difference Day, ball-shagging for various Wildcat Athletic events, volunteering for numerous local youth ski races throughout the season, and providing community for those traveling to the U.P. at the Beacon House of Marquette. Give it up for the NMU Alpine Ski team!
Ironcat of the Year (Female)
Sophia Bassino – Women’s Wrestling
Sophia Bassino was selected as the recipient of the Ironcat Award in recognition of her leadership, grit, and competitiveness within the strength & conditioning program. A standout for women’s wrestling, Bassino earned All-GLVC Second Team honors at 160 pounds. She posted a 4-1 record to place third at the regional tournament and helped lead NMU at the NCAA Championships. She earned NWCA Scholar All-American recognition and secured a spot on the Brazilian World Team with a 10-0 tech fall victory at the U20 World Team Trials, earning the opportunity to compete at the U20 Pan American Championships in Rio de Janeiro in July.
Ironcat of the Year (Male)
Jax Hertel – Football
Jax Hertel was named the recipient of the Ironcat Award, recognizing his leadership, grit, and competitiveness within the strength & conditioning program, setting the standard through his attendance and effort. A junior linebacker, Hertel anchored the Wildcat defense throughout the season, starting all 11 games and earning D2CCA Super Region 3 and All-GLIAC First Team honors. He led the team with 101 tackles, finishing third in the conference, while pacing the GLIAC with 14.5 tackles for loss.
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Gildo Canale Outstanding Senior (Male)
Dylan Kuehl – Men’s Basketball
Dylan Kuehl capped his career with one of the most decorated seasons in program history. A graduate student in Construction Management with a 3.65 GPA, Kuehl combined dominance on the court with elite performance in the classroom, earning First Team Academic All-America honors. The Iron Ridge, Wisconsin, native was named D2CCA First Team All-American and the Midwest Region Player of the Year, and swept both GLIAC Player of the Year and GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He averaged 21.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 55.2% from the field, leading the Wildcats to a 28-7 record and a conference regular season title. He solidified his legacy as one of the program’s all-time greats with 2,197 career points, second in program history.
Gildo Canale Outstanding Senior (Female)
Hannah Kastamo – Women’s Soccer
A senior and team captain, Hannah Kastamo had a memorable final season as a member of the Green and Gold: she earned an All-GLIAC First Team nod, a United Soccer Coaches All-Region Second Team selection, a D2CCA All-Midwest Region Second Team honor, finishing her career with three all-region accolades throughout her time at NMU. During the season, the captain started in all 20 matches, where she led the Wildcats in goals, assists, points, game-winning goals, and was among the team leaders in minutes played, shots, and shots on goal. In her four seasons with the Wildcats, Hannah played in 86 matches, a feat that has only been achieved by seven other student-athletes in NMU women’s soccer history. Give it up one more time for Hannah!
Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Female)
Henriette Nilssen – Nordic Skiing
Henriette had a phenomenal academic and athletic season with the Wildcats. A native of Norway, Henriette held a 4.00 GPA in a Business Analytics MBA, all while leading the Central Collegiate Ski Conference. Henriette won both events and guided her team to a conference title at the CCSA championships, won gold in both events at the NCAA Regionals race, was crowned CCSA Female Skier of the Year to go along with earning all-region and CCSA 1st team recognition, and then went on to represent NMU at the NCAA Championships. Congratulations, Henriette!
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Scholar-Athlete of the Year (Male)
Jackson Dudek – Men’s Basketball
Jackson Dudek finished an outstanding academic and athletic career with the men’s basketball team. The Kimberly, Wisconsin, native will complete his MBA while maintaining a 3.95 GPA. Dudek earned Second Team All-GLIAC honors and started all 35 games, averaging 11.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per contest while shooting 55.3% from the field and 41.9% from three, including 49 made triples. He recorded a career-high 29 points against Marian on Dec. 14 and earned CSC Academic All-District recognition for the second consecutive season.
Newcomer of the Year (Female)
Ashley Choponis – Cross Country
Ashley Choponis had an immediate and impactful debut season with the cross country program. The freshman quickly established herself as the team’s No. 2 runner throughout the season, earning All-GLIAC and All-Region honors while helping lead the Wildcats to an NCAA Championship appearance, where they finished 24th nationally. In her first GLIAC Championship race, Choponis earned Second Team All-GLIAC recognition with a 16th-place finish in 21:38.2. She continued her strong postseason performance at the NCAA Midwest Regional, placing 20th in 21:41.78 to secure All-Region honors.
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Newcomer of the Year (Male)
Matteo Ballardin – Swim & Dive
Matteo had a season to remember. A native of Venice, Italy, Ballardin joined the ‘Cats as a freshman and was named GLIAC Male Swimmer of the Year and GLIAC Freshman of the Year, thanks to winning gold in the 200 fly, 200 IM, 400 IM, leadoff in the 800 free relay, and silver in the 200 breaststroke. Ballardin continued his success into the NCAA Championship, as he earned First-Team All-America honors as the sixth-fastest 200 fly swimmer in the nation, in addition to six total All-America honors. Congratulations on all of your accomplishments this season, Matteo!
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Breakthrough Athlete of the Year (Male)
Ian Weimer – Men’s Soccer
After appearing in only eight games as a freshman, Ian burst onto the scene in his sophomore, becoming a mainstay feature in the Wildcat attack in 2025. Ian finished second on the team in goals (6) and points (13) as he earned a spot on the All-GLIAC Honorable Mention team. Ian played a crucial role down the stretch and into the postseason, including a five-game stretch from the end of the regular season into the GLIAC Tournament where he scored five goals, three of which were game winning goals, and capped off with a brace and the game-winning overtime goal against Roosevelt in the GLIAC Semifinals to send the Wildcats on their way to the first sostseason championship match in program history. Congratulations on all of your success, Ian!
Breakthrough Athlete of the Year (Female)
Sydney Whitehouse – Women’s Basketball
After a season in which she emerged as one of the league’s most impactful contributors off the bench, the Green Bay, Wisconsin, native earned GLIAC Sixth Woman of the Year honors. She provided a steady scoring spark for the Wildcats, averaging 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.1 assists, and 0.6 steals while shooting 43.1% from the field. She ranked third on the team with 65 offensive rebounds and reached double figures in scoring 15 times. Whitehouse delivered one of her strongest performances in the GLIAC Quarterfinals against Michigan Tech, scoring a career-high 25 points. She maintains a 3.85 GPA as a Biology major.
MVP (Female)
Josie Lakosky – Lacrosse
Josie has been the definition of this award this season; not only has she been the MVP of the Wildcat lacrosse team, but has consistently been one of the most valuable players across the nation, as she leads the D2 lacrosse landscape in goals, goals per game, points, and points per game. Josie has earned numerous national and conference awards this season, highlighting a campaign where the junior captain has broken all of the NMU single-season records, including establishing a new single-game goals and points record in Sunday’s win against Saginaw Valley, and became just the second player to reach the 200 career goals plateau in program history. Congratulations, Josie!
MVP (Male)
Dylan Kuehl – Men’s Basketball
Dylan Kuehl earned MVP honors after capping his career with one of the most decorated and dominant seasons in program history. A graduate student in Construction Management with a 3.65 GPA, Kuehl earned CSC First Team Academic All-America and D2CCA First Team All-America honors. The Iron Ridge, Wisconsin, native was named a First Team All-American, Midwest Region Player of the Year, and swept both GLIAC Player of the Year and GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year honors. He averaged 21.3 points and 6.4 rebounds per game while shooting 55.2% from the field, leading the Wildcats to a 28-7 record and a conference regular season title. Kuehl solidified his legacy as one of the program’s all-time greats, finishing with 2,197 career points, second in program history.
Coach of the Year
Jenny Ryan – Cross Country
Jenny Ryan was named the NMU Coach of the Year after leading the cross country program through one of its most successful seasons in recent history. The Wildcats qualified for the NCAA Championships as a team for the first time since 2017, climbed as high as No. 12 in the national rankings, and finished fourth out of 32 teams at the NCAA Midwest Regional. Northern also placed second out of 11 teams at the GLIAC Championships. Under Ryan’s leadership, Madi Szymanski and Ashley Choponis earned All-GLIAC and All-Region honors, while Emma Sweeney and Lamar Gordon were named All-GLIAC.
Team of the Year
Men’s Basketball
The men’s basketball team completed a historic 2025-26 season, setting a new program benchmark with 28 victories. The Wildcats captured their fourth consecutive GLIAC championship and hosted the conference tournament as the No. 1 seed. Under head coach Matt Majkrzak, who was named GLIAC Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons, Northern climbed as high as No. 10 in the NABC National Poll, its highest ranking since 1993, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year. The record-setting season was fueled by standout performances across the roster, including a historic campaign from graduate Dylan Kuehl, as this group cemented its place among the program’s all-time great teams.
