Football | 07/21/22 | 11:41 AM

WHITEFISH, Mont. — Frontier Conference Commissioner Kent Paulson announced the 2021-2022 conference end of the year awards and the conference nominees for National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) awards.

The NAIA national award recipients are announced as part of its annual NAIA National Awards Day in September.

Rachelle Sayers head women's basketball coach at Carroll College is the conference nominee for the NAIA Coach of Character award. This annual award is given to a head coach of an NAIA institution who has been outstanding in embracing the five core values of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative, using methods of teaching character through sport, and in community leadership through volunteering or service.

Rex Irby, Carroll College football player and men's golfer, is the conference nominee for the NAIA Dr. LeRoy Walker Champions of Character award. This award was created to honor Dr. LeRoy Walker, a former president of the NAIA and President emeritus of the United States Olympic Committee. It recognizes a current student-athlete with at least a junior academic status who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement, campus and community leadership embracing the five core character values of the NAIA Champions of Character initiative, athletic achievement and future ambition.

Kamden Hilborn, Carroll College women's basketball player, and track and field athlete, is the conference nominee for the NAIA A.O. Duer scholarship award. Named in honor of the NAIA's former executive secretary who served the association for 26 years, this award has been annually presented since 1967 to a male and female junior student-athlete in any sport who has excelled in scholarship, character, and citizenship.