BEMIDJI, Minn. – As the conclusion of the 2025-26 athletic calendar approaches, Bemidji State University Athletics honored its 390 student-athletes at the 18
th annual 2026 Beaver Nation Celebration Tuesday night at the Beaux Arts Ballroom. A night filled celebrating the triumphs and successes of BSU's 15 athletic programs and 390 student-athletes was capped-off as four Beavers were selected from a pool of nominations as Bemidji State's Student-Athletes of the Year.
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Bemidji State Women's Soccer forward
Katrina Barthelt repeated as the Female Student-Athlete of the Year becoming just the fourth student-athlete at BSU as a repeat winner of the award. Men's golfer
Logan Schoepp became the second student-athlete from the men's golf program to be named Male Student-Athlete of the Year (Andrew Benson 2016).
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Female Student-Athlete of the Year
Katrina Barthelt – Women's Soccer
Katrina Barthelt's 2025 season will go down as one of the most decorated for an individual student-athlete in BSU Soccer's history which says a lot for a program that has produced seven All-Americans. Barthelt became the program's seventh All-American after earning D2CCA All-America Third Team accolades. She was the program's first D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year and was named NSIC Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. In total, Barthelt accumulated D2CCA All-America Third Team, D2CCA Central Region Player of the Year, NSIC Offensive Player of the Year, United Soccer Coaches All-Central Region First Team, All-NSIC First Team, NSIC Elite 18 award and NSIC Outstanding Senior of the Year accolades in 2025. In 21 matches for the Beavers, she posted a career-high 32 points, leading the NSIC, and scored the most goals in the NSIC with 13. She scored in 10 of the team's 21 matches with the Beavers boasting an 8-0-2 record when she scored. Barthelt also excelled in the classroom and was a United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-American and Bemidji State's first NSIC Outstanding Senior of the Year award winner.
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Male Student-Athlete of the Year
Logan Schoepp – Men's Golf
Logan Schoepp shined for the Bemidji State Men's Golf program in his junior season. He became the program's 17
th NSIC Individual Champion and first since 2021 last spring after he shot a 7-under par 209 at the NSIC Championships. His first-round score of 68 was the lowest round by a Beaver at the Championship since 2010. Schoepp put together one of the best individual seasons in program history in 2024-25. He averaged 73.2 strokes over 22 rounds, the third best single-season scoring average in program history. Out of nine tournaments during the season, Schoepp finished in the top-20 six times, top-10 four times and top-five four times. As the conference's individual champion, he was selected to the All-NSIC First Team and All-Tournament Team.
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Schoepp also excelled in the classroom as one the nation's best. He became the program's first CSC Academic All-America At-Large First Team selection and is a GCAA All-America Scholar. He earned NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction honors, NSIC Spring All-Academic Team of Excellence and D2ADA Academic Achievement Award in 2024-25.
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In addition, women's basketball guard
Evyn Eppinga was voted as BSU's Female Newcomer of the Year becoming the second from the program to earn the award. Men's hockey defenseman
Maxon Vig was named the Male Newcomer of the Year marking the second consecutive year a newcomer from the program earned the award and the eighth overall.
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Female Newcomer of the Year
Evyn Eppinga – Women's Basketball
(Freshman – Forward – Winnipeg, Manitoba)
Eppinga appeared in all 26 games for the Beavers in 2025-26, starting in all but one. She led the team in minutes played, averaging 31.5 during her first season of competition. During this time, Eppinga averaged a .417 field-goal shooting percentage with 371 points scored and a .384 three-point shooting percentage. She added 92 rebounds, with 76 on defense, 44 assists, 21 steals and four blocks.
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Leading the team in points, field-goal shooting, three-point shooting, assists and minutes played, Eppinga broke into the BSU WBB single-season record books. She now ranks eighth in three-point shooting, ninth in free-throw shooting and points per game, and is 10
th in scoring. In the NSIC, Eppinga finished the season ranking 10
th in three pointers per game, 11
th in three pointers made, 13
th in free-throw shooting, 16
th in points, points per game and three-point attempts, and 18
th in field goals attempted and made.
Male Newcomer of the Year
Maxon Vig – Men's Hockey
Maxon Vig jumped into the Bemidji State lineup right away and never faltered. Appearing in all 36 games as a freshman, Vig led the Bemidji State defensive core with six goals and finished his first collegiate season with seven points. A true offensive and defensive stalwart for the Beavers, Maxon posted team-high plus-11 rating on the ice while shutting down opposing attackers with 44 blocked shots, third most on the team. His six goals are the most by a Beaver defenseman since 2023-24.
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After a year hiatus, Bemidji State's Community Impact Award made its return and was given to women's basketball junior
Tieryn Plasch to recognize her service to the Bemidji community serving as BSU SAAC co-President helping organize all student-athlete community service projects.
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The night was also used to celebrate student-athlete's academic accomplishments, and a department record 22 student-athletes earned Scholar-Athlete of the Year. This year's recipients of the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award were:
Avery Achterkirch (Women's Hockey),
Ava Athman (Volleyball),
Katrina Barthelt (Women's Soccer),
Elle Bettcher (Track and Field),
Beth Bolte (Women's Basketball),
Autumn Cooper (Women's Hockey),
Ryan Henderson (Men's Hockey),
Bill Ketola (Football),
Grace Kittel (Women's Soccer),
Chloe Knott (Track and Field),
Vincent Labelle (Men's Hockey),
Tory Lund (Men's Hockey),
A.J. Macaulay (Men's Hockey),
Noah Quinn (Men's Hockey),
Calleigh Richards (Softball),
Luke Roelofs (Men's Hockey),
Patrik Satosaari (Men's Hockey),
Hailey Selly (Track and Field),
Kylie Struble (Volleyball),
Ella Wade (Women's Soccer),
Breanna Weilert (Women's Soccer),
Trent Wiemken (Men's Hockey).
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Bemidji State also recognized its Outstanding Male and Female Academic Team awards. Women's Hockey won its second straight award as the Outstanding Female Academic Team compiling a team GPA of 3.81. Men's Hockey won its third consecutive Outstanding Male Academic Team award with a team GPA of 3.72.
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10 seniors were recognized as NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction honorees after achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.75. Each recipient was presented with a certificate of achievement and wristwatch.
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The Beavers also took the time to recognize 68 soon-to-be graduates of Bemidji State presenting each senior with a commemorative plaque and letter.
New to the event was the BSU SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) "Bucky's" award voted upon all student-athletes at the university. Below are the awards and their recipients.
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| Coach of the Year |
Erika Bute (Volleyball) |
| Support Staff of the Year |
Jordan Sorensen (Strength & Conditioning) |
| All-In Team of the Year |
Women's Basketball |
| International Superstar |
Sonia Alfieri (Women's Soccer) |
| 6th Person of the Year |
Lydia Bengtson (Volleyball) |
| Grandpa of the Year |
Henry Shannon III (Men's Basketball |
| Grandma of the Year |
Emma Huelsnitz (Women's Soccer) |
| Dynamic Duo |
Haylee and Lauren Kammann (Women's Golf) |
| Upload of the Year |
Oliva Dronen "USA versus Canada Olympic Reactions" |
| Celly of the Year |
Homecoming Lake Jump (Football) |
| Not Top-10 Play of the Year |
Beth Bolte (Women's Basketball) "Tripping" |
| Upset of the Year |
Volleyball vs. No 18 Minnesota Duluth (10/21/25) |
| Beaver Legacy |
Logan Schoepp (Men's Golf) |
| Strength & Conditioning Male Athlete of the Year |
Conor Kovas (Football) |
| Strength & Conditioning Female Athlete of the Year |
Raeley Carney (Women's Hockey) |
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Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association and women's hockey in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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