BILLINGS, Mont. – Montana Tech's Nolan Saraceni was named a finalist for the Montana AAU Little Sullivan Award. The Little Sullivan Awards Banquet takes place Saturday, May 6th, at the Big Horn Resort in Billings. Saraceni was a two-time Frontier Conference Player of the Year and two-time All-American for the Orediggers. The Billings native rushed for almost 3,500 yards during his career at Montana Tech. He set the single season record for most all-purpose yards in a season with 1,820 yards, most touchdowns in a game with five, and longest run from the line of scrimmage with a 99-yard touchdown. As a senior, Saraceni rushed for 1,388 yards and 19 touchdowns in 10 games. Saraceni finds himself in good company. The male nominations include MSU-Billings basketball's Jace Anderson (Whitewater); MSU footballs' Mac Bignell (Drummond) and Chad Newell (Billings). The female nominations include Stanford runner Christina Aragon (Billings), MSU Billings basketball's Alisha Breen, Northern Michigan swimmer Madisen Sechena (Great Falls); and MSU-Billings volleyball's Stormy Siemion (Huntley). Nominating criteria for the Little Sullivan award includes being an outstanding athlete, academics and community service. The award is based on the national AAU James E. Sullivan Award. But unlike the national award, Montana names a male and female winner instead of a single winner. Nominees for the Little Sullivan must be Montana natives.

BUTTE, Mont. – The Montana Tech women's basketball team received the 2016-17 Buffalo Funds Five-Star Champions of Character Award announced by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).   Only one institution from each of the NAIA's 25 championship sports receives the Buffalo Funds Five-Star Champions of Character Team Award. To receive the award a team must demonstrate the five core values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.   "It is an honor for our team to receive the Champions of Character Award," said Head Coach Carly Sanon.   "It is a testimony of our student-athletes, department and university. We coaches try to instill the five core values in our student-athletes on a daily basis. When a student-athlete steps foot on Montana Tech's campus, we want to make sure that they grow as individuals as well as prepare them to be contributing members to society. I truly admire how well our team responded." This season the Montana Tech Women's Basketball focused on the core value respect. With the election and current state of our country, we thought it was important to discuss, learn and show respect to one another. The women's basketball team is made up of student-athletes from five different states as well as rural areas, cities and different backgrounds. The team is also very involved in the community and service in Butte. The team was involved with Read for Peace on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. "It is important to give back to the Butte community that supports us.  I enjoy being around young kids and reading to them about an important person of our history was full filling," said senior Hattie Thatcher.   Women's basketball total community service was 270 hours. The team also organized a department wide Walk to School Day with all Montana Tech student-athletes, participated in the United Way and Salvation Army's Dress a Child Program, numerous campus activities, and more.

Montana Tech Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announce the 2016-17 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes today. Two Montana Tech Orediggers made the list. In order to be nominated by an institution's head coach or sports information director, a student-athlete must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale and must have achieved a junior academic status. Kale Guldseth and Sadiq Inuwa are the student-athletes receiving the honor. Both are juniors on the Montana Tech men's basketball team.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) announced the 2017 Division I Women's Basketball All-America Teams today. Montana Tech's Martha Dembek and Hattie Thatcher were Honorable Mention selections for the prestigious honor. Players were selected by the NAIA Women's Basketball Coaches Association All-America Committee. The first, second and third teams consisted of 10 individuals each and as well as the honorable mention list. Dembek is a two-time Frontier Conference All-Conference selection. The 5-foot-9 guard was third in the conference in scoring averaging 15.1 points per game and second in three pointers per game with 1.97. The Winnett, Mont. native led the Orediggers in rebounds per game (6.9) and was ranked fifth in the conference. Dembek ranked second in the NAIA in free throw percentage (89.3) and 20th in three point percentage (39.9).   Thatcher was a second team All-Conference selection this season. The 5-foot-5 guard was second in the conference in assists with 5.43 per game and ranked 11th in points per game with 11.6. Thatcher ranked 8th in the NAIA in assists per game and 9th in total assists (152).  The Butte High grad broke the school record for career assists finishing with 514 during her time as an Oredigger.  Montana Tech finished the year with a 16-15 overall record and 9-9 in conference play. Coach Carly Sanon reached the Frontier Conference Tournament for the third straight year and the tournament semifinals for the second time.

Digger Athletics invites you to COME ON DOWN.... To the HPER Complex Saturday April 22nd for the annual Digger Athletic Association Auction. All proceeds help defray the cost of Montana Tech student-athletes tuition and fees. Enjoy dinner, Oredigger Signature Cocktails and domestic beer, live and silent auction items, plus more games so that everyone is a winner! Get your table today or grab individual tickets for $50 per person in advance and $65 at the door. New this year SKIP THE LINES ! Take advantage of Express Check In and skip registration at the event. If you register in advance, you can skip the registration line and go right to your table. Your program and bid paddle will be waiting for you. Ask about Express Check In when you call to reserve your table or purchase tickets. Call 406.496.4105 or email orediggers@mtech.edu for more information or to reserve your table.