OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Evergreen State College honored Geoduck student-athletes for their accomplishments at the 2026 Athletics Banquet on Thursday, May 28 at the Costantino Recreation Center. The top awards for 2025-26 were presented at the banquet, while graduating seniors and first-year athletes also were recognized.

Evergreen's top awards were the Dig Deep Award, Male Athlete of the Year Award, Female Athlete of the Year Award, and the Career Achievement Award.

Dig Deep Award

The Dig Deep Award is a recognition of the athlete who has encapsulated the meaning of being a student-athlete at Evergreen. They were an active leader on their team and in the student body, as well as participating in student governance and excelling in classes.

Bright Brubaker (So.), an opposite from the women's volleyball team, was chosen as the winner of the Dig Deep Award.

Brubaker played in all 24 matches and 70 of 74 sets for the volleyball team during the 2025 season. She earned 33 kills, 35 assists, and 27 total blocks. She also filled in as a setter early in the season due to injuries on the team. She is a co-chair of the Evergreen Association of Student Athletes. She was a team leader for the volleyball team. Brubaker was chosen Academic All-CCC, NAIA Scholar-Athlete, and CSC Academic All-District.

Brubaker works for CRC Operations as a Lead, and for Game Management. Her academic interest is Environmental Science.

Male Athlete of the Year Award

The Male Athlete of the Year Award is given to an outstanding athlete for their exceptional performance, excellence, and impact in and out of their respective sport(s) this year. Consideration is given to athletes who have also received conference, national, scholarly, and/or other special recognition. The winner must possess outstanding demonstrable character and sportsmanship in representing Evergreen.

Horacio Godinez (So.) from the men's wrestling team received the Male Athlete of the Year Award.

Godinez became Evergreen's first All-American in men's wrestling this season after earning eighth place in the 141-pound weight class at the 2026 NAIA Men's Wrestling Championships. He also was Evergreens' first men's wrestler to compete at the NAIA Championships.

He took second place in his weight class at the 2026 Cascade Collegiate Conference Championships to earn First Team All-Conference honors. He was chosen CCC Wrestler of the Week on Feb. 16, 2026

He finished the year with a 37-7 overall record. He set school records for wins in a season and winning percentage in a season (.841). Godinez was the Geoducks' lone entry at the NAIA Championships, and he scored 10.5 points as Evergreen took 33rd place out of 63 teams in the tournament.

Female Athlete of the Year Award

The Female Athlete of the Year Award is given to an outstanding athlete for their exceptional performance, excellence, and impact in and out of their respective sport(s) this year. Consideration is given to athletes who have also received conference, national, scholarly, and/or other special recognition. The winner must possess outstanding demonstrable character and sportsmanship in representing Evergreen.

Izabelle Trefts (Sr.) from the women's cross country team and the women's track and field team was the winner of the Female Athlete of the Year Award.

Trefts won her third NAIA National Championship in the 3,000-meter indoor race walk this season. It was her second National Championship at Evergreen. She set the national collegiate record and the NAIA record in the 3,000-meter race walk with a winning time of 13:11.95. She earned All-American honors in the event for the third time in her career.

She was ranked #1 this year by USA Track & Field in the 3,000-meter indoor race walk. She holds the Evergreen school record and the CCC record in the 3,000-meter indoor race walk. She qualified to compete for Team USA at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Brazil, where she placed 54th in the world. Trefts has earned the second fastest half marathon race walk time in American history. She also competed for Team USA at the Podebrady Walking Meeting in Czechia, helping the team place third. In Czechia, Trefts placed 30th in the half marathon walk.

Trefts was a scoring runner for Evergreen this past fall at the CCC Cross Country Championships. She was named Academic All-CCC and was chosen as an NAIA Scholar-Athlete in cross country in 2025. She will be nominated for CSC Academic All-District for 2025-26.

She was chosen CCC McDonald's Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week, USTFCCCA Women's NAIA Athlete of the Week, and NAIA Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Week after qualifying for the NAIA Championships during a 3,000-meter race walk at the Concordia University Polar Dog Invite in Seward, Nebraska, on Jan. 23, 2026.

Career Achievement Award

The Career Achievement Award goes to a graduating athlete, or an athlete who has been awarded a degree from Evergreen. The award honors their outstanding contributions and accomplishments throughout their athletic career. Athletes nominated in this category must have participated for a minimum of two years in at least one sport. They also need to have received conference or national recognition for their efforts in at least one sport.

Shannon Workinger (Sr.) from the women's wrestling team received the Career Achievement Award.

At the 2026 NAIA Women's Wrestling Championships, Workinger took second place in the 160-pound weight class became the first Evergreen women's wrestler to reach a national championship match. Workinger was chosen NAIA All-American for the third time in her career and the first time at Evergreen. She made history this year as the first Washington resident in about 30 years to become a national finalist in women's wrestling while competing for a college from her home state. For the season, Workinger achieved a 14-1 overall record to rank second at Evergreen in single season winning percentage (.933). She redshirted at Evergreen in 2024-25 after joining the Geoducks midway through the season.

Workinger earned second place in the 68-kilogram weight class at the USA Under-23 National Championships in 2024-25 and took second place in the 72-kilogram weight class in 2025-26. She qualified for the USA National Team both seasons. 

She was named Academic All-CCC and NAIA Scholar-Athlete this year, and she has been nominated for CSC Academic All-District.

2025-26 Senior Recognition

Each graduating senior received a stole from Evergreen Athletics.

Men's Basketball:  Nathan Behr, Kohrey Bridges, Jemoi Davis, Tony Frohlich-Fair, Bradley Graham
Women's Basketball:  Gina Brown, Amaialyne Cepeda, Jenna Glenzel, Shaunya Kahananui
Women's Cross Country:  Maddie Morgan, Sherlyn Perales, Mara Schwenneker, Izabelle Trefts
Men's Soccer:  Tom Cole, Alejandro Gallegos, Bowen Kennedy, Alex Lopez, Alan Miranda, Jonas Olvera Calderon, Sage Scheuerell
Women's Soccer:  Angela Celedon, Alexandra Foley, Aidyn Fulton, Makenna Green, Finley Gimelli Hemme, Katie Gresham, Rosalind Holt, Kate Loftus, Yzabella Lucero, Makayla McGilvrey, Libby Raymond, Josie Stanley, Emma Stock, Anna Varela
Women's Volleyball:  Amaialyne Cepeda, Sophia Scroggins
Men's Track and Field:  Paul Hull-Stewart
Women's Track and Field:  Tanisha Engram, Maddie Morgan, Sherlyn Perales, Mara Schwenneker, Izabelle Trefts
Men's Wrestling:  Amgalan Bambalaev, Boris Bambalaev, Andrew Walker Campbell
Women's Wrestling:  Flor Parker Borrero, Shannon Workinger

2025-26 First-Year Letter Awards

Each first-year athlete received an Evergreen letter.

Men's Basketball:  Tony Frohlich-Fair, Kenzel Massey, Jayson Mathews, Reilly McIlraith, Gabe Wigginton
Women's Basketball:  Habiba Adam, Amaya Afatasi, Jesselle Victo Castillo, Bayleigh Harder, Sahara Soufi, Melissa Blanke
Men's Cross Country:  Stanley Johnson, Liam Kaperick, Austin Major, Jr., Will Niskanen, Jackson Rye, Daniel Sanchez, Nathaniel Sanchez
Women's Cross Country:  Soleil Bianchi, Sylvie Biesack, Dani Buttrell, Merecedies Dupont
Men's Soccer:  Tom Cole, Cooper Davis, Anthony Diaz, Elliot Falor, Phillip Lam, Preston Lam, Richard Lucero, Damien Rodriguez
Women's Soccer:  Madeline Dorendorf, Makayla Pagnotta, Daliya Prohim, Jordyn Thomas, Izzy Widener, Isabella Williams
Men's Track and Field:  Abdullahi Adanur, Marjon Collins, Sojourn Gulrajani, Stanley Johnson, Jarvae Lindsay, Austin Major, Jr., Ali Mustapha, Will Niskanen, Alexander Rheaume, Jackson Rye, Daniel Sanchez, Nathaniel Sanchez, DeAndre Wright
Women's Track and Field:  Soleil Bianchi, Sylvie Biesack, Dani Buttrell, Merecedies Dupont, Cynthia Goldner, Haleigh Hanson, Isabel Lane
Women's Volleyball:  Mikayla Kelly, Sandra Losey, Rosario Olvera, Annaliese Trapp, Jaci Yamada
Men's Wrestling:  Amgalan Bambalaev, Boris Bambalaev, Joseph Davis, Miguel Depaz, Alex Fenwick, Gerardo Hernandez, LaMonte Sandlin, Adrian St. Germain, Cole Torres, Jayms Vilona
Women's Wrestling:  Alexis Gray, Haley le, Leah Wallway