Northern announces Athletes of the Year

A pair of Montana State University-Northern athletes were honored at last Friday's Northern Lights Athletic Scholarship Foundation's Spring Fling Fundraiser.

Athlete of the Year honors for the 2012-13 school year went to Abby Nicholas and Cameron Neiss.

Montana State University-Northern junior volleyball player Abby Nicholas was named MSU-N Female Athlete of the Year.

Nicholas was named Northern Female Athlete of the Year after an outstanding junior season on the volleyball court. Coming to MSU-N from Salt Lake City, Nicholas helped the Skylights to a stellar season in which they went all the way to the Frontier Conference championship match. In earning First-Team All-Conference honors, Nicholas racked up 379 kills and 106 blocks. She was also an AVCA All-Region selection.

Neiss was named MSU-N Male Athlete of the Year. Also a junior, Neiss was the top-ranked 133-pounder in the NAIA for much of the wrestling season. He finished the year 33-9 and reached the 133-pound NAIA championship match last month in Des Moines, Iowa. The junior from Ronan has now earned NAIA All-American honors twice for the Lights, and will return next season as the top 133-pounder in the nation.

Northern junior wrestler Cameron Neiss, right, was named MSU-N Male Athlete of the Year.

Also honored Friday night was longtime MSU-N supporter and local businessman Scott Young. He received the Shining Light Bob Bricker Memorial Award. The award goes to a community member who goes above and beyond in supporting MSU-Northern athletics. Young has been a fixture at Northern sporting events and a generous supporter in fundraising efforts.