This exhaustive recount of the best of 2022-23 sports season at NMU included 21 awards.

Today we’ll look at individual athlete award winners, who take up two-thirds, or 14, of these awards, with Wednesday’s Mining Journal Sports to look at various team and coaching winners.

Details about these awards are also available on various NMU Athletics social media channels.

Here are individual athletes awards:

Northern MIchigan University's Max Bjorklund dribbles around a defender during a Wildcats' game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. (Photo courtesy NMU)

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ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

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Max Bjorklund — The senior men’s basketball player from Orono, Minnesota, was selected as the Male Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive time after an incredible season on the court.

He was an All-GLIAC First Team honoree who finished the season with 633 points, an average of 21.1 points per game, which not only led the GLIAC, but paced all scorers in the Midwest in NCAA Division II. His season total ranks as the seventh highest in program history.

Northern Michigan University's Makaylee Kuhn, center, goes up for a short jumper in the second quarter as Davenport's Scout Nelson defends in their GLIAC basketball game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette on Jan. 20, 2022. (Photo courtesy Daryl T. Jarvinen)

This year, Bjorklund was named GLIAC Tournament MVP, All-GLIAC First Team and also regional First Team honors.

For his college career, he is a three-time All-GLIAC recipient and scored a total of 1,781 points.

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Reagan Olli — This junior from downstate Gaylord on the second-year NMU alpine ski team was named NMU’s Female Athlete of the Year after she won her way onto the podium multiple times and claimed the Midwest title.

When heading to the national championships, the weather at Mammoth Mountain in California — too much snow for a downhill skiing event with the mountain summit reaching almost 900 inches this season — nearly prevented the races from even happening.

Reagan Olli

But after some delays, Reagan had her opportunity to shine. Her time of 45.07 seconds capped off her season, giving her the title of national champion in the slalom.

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SCHOLAR-ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

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Makaylee Kuhn — This fourth-year junior on the women’s basketball team from Hilbert, Wisconsin, not only got it done consistently on the basketball court, but was also impressive in the classroom.

Patrick Andrews

Majoring in environmental science with a minor in sustainability, she has maintained a 4.0 grade-point average heading into her final semester.

On the court, Kuhn was named to the All-GLIAC First Team for the third straight season. This past winter, she averaged 16.3 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game, giving her a career total of 1,470 points, good for eighth in program history.

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Patrick Andrews — A junior on the men’s swimming and diving team from Springfield, Virginia, he is a public relations major with a business minor and holds a 3.9 GPA.

Andrews was honored on the All-GLIAC Academic Excellence team this season, while in the pool, he opened the season with a third-place finish in the 200-yard butterfly.

Roberto Camera

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GILDO CANALE OUTSTANDING SENIORS

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Lizzy Stark — This senior on the volleyball team from Minneapolis was a four-year starter as an outside hitter, a team captain and a four-time All-GLIAC honoree.

During her time at NMU, her Wildcats team won the GLIAC regular season and tournament title for the first time in 18 years. Last fall, she helped lead the team to an NCAA tournament berth for the first time in 12 years.

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Roberto Camera — A senior on the men’s swimming and diving team from Rozzano, Italy, he was a three-time All-American and a GLIAC champion in the 100-yard breaststroke.

Camera has been known as a great team leader whether cheering on teammates, helping them out or just listening to them.

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BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

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Alli Yacko — A senior on the volleyball team from Oak Lawn, Illinois, she was forced to miss the entire 2021 season due to injury. But her return to the court last fall as libero helped lead these Wildcats to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in a dozen years.

Aided by Yacko’s leadership, Northern went from seventh place in ’21 to second in ’22.

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Kalvin Glodz — A junior defender on the men’s soccer team from Elmhurst, Illinois, he played in a total of 14 games and 196 minutes over his first two seasons at NMU.

Then last fall, Glodz elevated his plays and earned a starting position, not only playing in all 17 games, but totaling up the second-most minutes on the team with 1,485.

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NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR

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Molly Pistorius — A freshman on the women’s soccer team from Chicago, she was selected as the newcomer of the year by her teammates and also the GLIAC Freshman of the Year.

Last fall, she had six goals, six assists and 18 points, each a top-10 mark in the GLIAC. She played in all 22 games, starting 21. And she was second on the team with 22 shots on goal.

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Max Weisbrod — A freshman on the men’s basketball team from DeForest, Wisconsin, he was named GLIAC Freshman of the Year and to the All-GLIAC Second Team in his sport, averaging double figures at 12.1 points per game.

He also led GLIAC freshmen in assists at 5.1 per contest, tying him for first in the conference and runner-up in the country among first-year players.

He also made 46% on 3-pointers, fifth-best in the GLIAC and the best among first-year players.

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HUMANITARIAN OF THE YEAR

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Brenna Musser — A junior on the women’s soccer team from downstate Grand Rapids, she was one of the creators of a club called Holiday Smiles that has a goal of spreading acts of kindness, thoughtfulness and joy to other people in need over the holidays.

In its first year, the club hand made cards that were delivered for St. Patrick’s Day, Easter and Halloween to multiple locations in Marquette, such as Mill Creek Assisted Living, the cardiac unit at U.P. Health System and a local group home. Cards were made for families staying at Beacon House during last Christmas’ holidays, and more recently, Valentine’s Day cards were made for the Jacobetti Home for Veterans.

“If there is an overarching sentiment that running this organization has taught me, it is that acts of service go a long way,” Musser is quoted as saying. “The energy and positivity that is spread by doing something kind for someone else, for no reason other than to be thoughtful, is the only reward you need.”

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PLAY OF THE YEAR

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Crystal Walker — A sophomore on the women’s track and field indoor and outdoor teams from Portmore, Jamaica, she is being recognized for her school-record-breaking performance at the Minnesota State Indoor Challenge held Feb. 11 in Mankato, Minnesota.

In the long jump, Walker impressively landed a jump of 5.92 meters (19 feet, 5 inches) to win the event.

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PERFORMANCES OF THE YEAR

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Reagan Olli — Along with earning Female Athlete of the Year, this junior on Northern’s second-year alpine ski team also earns this awards for her performance at nationals at Mammoth Mountain in California.

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Kristoffer Karsrud — A sophomore on the men’s nordic ski team from Raufoss, Norway, he captured gold twice at the U.S. Cross Country Ski National Championships that were held at Michigan Tech in Houghton from Jan. 2-7.

That’s when he won the men’s classic sprint in 2 minutes, 51.83 seconds and freestyle sprint in 2:23.87. They marked the Wildcats’ first wins at this nationals event since 2015.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

Brenna Musser

Northern Michigan University's Max Bjorklund goes up for a layup during a Wildcats' basketball game played at the Berry Events Center in Marquette. (Photo courtesy NMU)