Hastings College Athletics celebrated the accomplishments of student-athletes at its Bronco Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (BESPY) Awards on Tuesday, May 7, at the Hastings City Auditorium.
The event was organized by the Association of Student Athletes (ASA) and the Hastings College Athletic Department, with members of ASA voting on and presenting a number of the awards.
In addition to the students and teams shown below, students receiving All Conference, All American and other awards were recognized as groups during the ceremony.
For photos of the event, which are free to download, click here.
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Female Rookie of the Year — Bailey Kissinger of Glenvil, Nebraska, Women’s Basketball
Given to a female student-athlete who competed in her first season as a Hastings College Bronco and was an integral part of her program’s success.
Kissinger joined the women’s basketball team midseason and still earned honorable mention all conference honors from the GPAC. She averaged 10.2 points per game, shot 48.6% from the floor and averaged six rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
Male Rookie of the Year — Jared Delgado of Thornton, Colorado, Baseball
Given to a male student-athlete who competed in his first season as a Hastings College Bronco and was an integral part of his program’s success.
During the 2024 baseball season, Delgado hit .277 with 7 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .444. He also held a fielding percentage of 0.945 through the entire season.
Female Senior of the Year — Majesta Valasek of Broken Bow, Nebraska, Volleyball
Presented to a female student-athlete who completed her senior season during the 2023-24 year. This student-athlete was a standout for their program and contributed to their program’s success throughout the year.
Valasek was named to the GPAC All-Conference team for the 2023-24 volleyball season. She was a team captain and led the team with 338 kills. She also had 36 blocks and recorded her career high 32 kills in a win over Dakota Wesleyan.
Male Senior of the Year — Tyrique McMurrin of Bolingbrook, Illinois, Men’s Basketball
Presented to a male student-athlete who completed his senior season during the 2023-24 year. This student-athlete was a standout for their program and contributed to their program’s success throughout the year.
McMurrin was named second team all-conference by the GPAC. He averaged 11.7 points per game, shot nearly 54 percent from the field and averaged 6 rebounds per game. He hit his 1,000th career point during the season and had a career high 27 points in the GPAC Semifinals.
Supporter of the Year — Amiel Johnson of Nassau, The Bahamas, Sports Media
Given to an individual who consistently supports Bronco athletics, whether with attendance at events, monetary donations, academic support or mentoring of student-athletes.
Throughout the year, Johnson played a big part in helping build the brand of Hastings College Athletics. You could find him at almost every home competition carrying his camera, and he also traveled to several away competitions for teams that do not compete at home.
Male Scholar Athlete of the Year — (tie) Lance High of Sanford, Florida, Men’s Bowling; and Alessandro Urlati of Biella Piedmont, Italy, Men’s Soccer
Given to the male student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA of those eligible for graduation.
Female Scholar Athlete of the Year — (tie) Emma Severson of Hickman, Nebraska, Women’s Golf; and Lauryn Metz of Littleton, Colorado, Women’s Soccer
Given to the female student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA of those eligible for graduation.
Female Athlete of the Year — Dekota Schubert of Castle Rock, Colorado, Women’s Soccer
Given to a student-athlete who has been an integral part of their program’s success during the year. This BESPY is based on athletic ability and direct individual impact on their program.
Schubert became the school’s all-time assist leader with her 37th and 38th assist this past season. She scored 12 goals and dished out 13 assists during the season on her way to earning first team all-conference honors in the GPAC. She scored four game winners plus the tying goal to send the national tournament game into overtime.
Male Athlete of the Year — Reggie Thomas of Omaha, Nebraska, Men’s Basketball
Given to a student-athlete who has been an integral part of their program’s success during the year. This BESPY is based on athletic ability and direct individual impact on their program.
Thomas set the single season scoring record with 770 points while hitting his 1,000th career point as a sophomore. He helped the Broncos win the GPAC regular season and tournament titles for the first time on his way to being named the GPAC Player of the Year and the program’s first ever first team All-American.
Female Bronco Athlete of the Year — Veronica Pinkerton of Beatrice, Nebraska, Women’s Cross Country and Women’s Track
Awarded to a female student-athlete who has embodied everything it means to be a Bronco. Recipients exhibit sportsmanship, dedication to their athletic performance and academic excellence and active community engagement.
Pinkerton has qualified for nationals all 12 seasons at Hastings College — and is the only person, male or female, to accomplish this in the College’s history. She is a three time All-American, two time national runner-up and 17-time all-conference runner. She currently holds the 6K cross country school record, as well as the school record in the indoor and outdoor 800m, and school records as part of the indoor 4x400m relay, the indoor 4x800m relay, and the distance medley relay. She is listed on the Hastings College All-Time Top 10 list in 13 events. She has made the Dean’s List every semester and is a four-time NAIA Cross Country Academic All-American, a four-time NAIA Indoor Track & Field Academic All-American and a three-time NAIA Outdoor Track & Field Academic All-American. Pinkerton is usually one of the first to arrive and help load equipment and one of the last to leave, helping to unload equipment or clean the bus after long meets. She’s volunteered to help with the Kool-Aid Days 5K run and as a Mural Day judge on campus, and managed and hosted a Trivia Night fundraiser for Food4Thought. She is a double-major in marketing and art.
Male Bronco Athlete of the Year — Harrison Udeh of Missouri City, Texas, Football
Awarded to the male student-athlete who has embodied everything it means to be a Bronco. Recipients exhibit sportsmanship, dedication to their athletic performance and academic excellence and active community engagement.
Udeh was the recipient of this year’s football “Brick and Mortar Award.” This is given to the player who best exemplifies all of the character traits in the team’s “Standard of Performance.” He made a difficult decision to stay following his first year when the coach who had recruited him left and he had no ties to the community here outside of his teammates. Udeh developed into a better player each year and was an honorable mention performer as a junior and earned second team all-conference honors in the GPAC as a senior. More importantly, his willingness to be vulnerable, sharing his story and his culture with his teammates, helped to galvanize the team and elevated him into a special leadership position. He was a founding member of uCreate, the leadership team for football, and earned CSC Academic All-American and NAIA Scholar-Athlete as he carries a 3.79 GPA in his health professions major. He plans to attend medical school in the fall.
Coach of the Year — Todd Raridon, Men’s Basketball
Awarded to a coach who has gone above and beyond to ensure the success of their student-athletes both in and out of competition. This BESPY can be awarded to any coach who interacts with student-athletes.
TEAM AWARDS
Comeback Team of the Year — Men’s Basketball
Awarded to the team that has the biggest increase in success, whether that be compared to last season or a mid-season turnaround for this year.
Highlight/Play of the Year — Men’s Basketball winning the GPAC Championship
Awarded for a singular moment during competition that was the most remarkable, compelling or entertaining during the year.
Best Celebration — Men’s Basketball court storm (GPAC championship)
Given to the team or individual who had an exciting, entertaining or unique celebration during a single moment during the year.
Female Team of the Year — Women’s Soccer
Given to the women’s team that has the most athletic success during competition throughout the 2023-24 season.
Male Team of the Year — Men’s Basketball
Given to the men’s team that has the most athletic success during competition throughout the 2023-24 season.
Scholar Team of the Year — Women’s Golf
Presented to the team with the highest cumulative team GPA for the 2023-24 academic year.
Bronco Athletic Cup — Women’s Soccer
Awarded to the athletic program that has continually represented what it means to be a Bronco throughout the year. This program has shown pride in being Broncos by exhibiting excellent sportsmanship, remaining dedicated to their performance in both academics and athletics, continually working to make a difference in the Hastings community and their constant support of other programs.
The women’s soccer team showed success on and off of the field. The team was active in the community, participating in service opportunities at the welcome back to school, NAIA Champions of Character, with the YMCA for youth clinics and officiating youth soccer leagues through the YMCA. The team won the GPAC regular season title and made it to the final sixteen of the national tournament. They continually showed up to support our other athletic programs and maintained a cumulative team GPA of 3.63.
Hastings College is a four-year residential college that focuses on student academic and extracurricular achievement. Discover more at hastings.edu.
