April 4, 2008

GREAT FALLS - The Montana AAU has announced the 10 finalists for the 2008 Little Sullivan Award, given to the top amateur athlete in the state of Montana.

The women's finalists include Northern Colorado basketball player Danielle Hagen of Sidney, Weber State basketball player Sara Tuomi, Rocky Mountain golfer Rachel Warren of Billings, Montana sprinter Loni Perkins-Judisch from Conrad and Montana State-Billings soccer player Brittney Sandau of Billings.

Hagen led Northern Colorado in scoring and rebounding this season despite the effects of a genetic disease that causes increased blood clotting. She redshirted the 2006-07 season after being diagnosed with a partially collapsed lung and a blood clot in her lung. She scored a career-high 37 points in her final game, an 82-69 loss to Portland State in the first round of the Big Sky Conference championships.

Tuomi was a three-time first team all-Big Sky Conference player for the Wildcats and was third in the league in scoring with 16.6 points per game.

Warren won the 2007 Montana State Women's Amateur golf tournament last summer and is a two-time NAIA All-America golfer at Rocky.

Perkins-Judisch won the 200 and 400 meters and anchored the winning 4x400 meter relay at the Big Sky Conference Indoor Track and Field Championships. She set school records in both of her sprints and the relay set a record as well.

Sandau earned first team all-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honors and was on the NSCAA/adidas All-Far West Regional soccer team.

Heading the list of five men's finalists is former University of Montana defensive lineman Kroy Biermann of Hardin, winner of the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player among Football Championship Subdivision schools.

Also nominated are: Michigan wrestler Tyrel Todd of Bozeman; University of Great Falls wrestler Wayne French of Malta and four-time state wrestling champion Ryan Leonard of Simms. The other finalist is Montana State sprinter Dan Johnson of Livingston.

Todd finished third at the NCAA wrestling championships while French finished his UGF career with a 73-9 record and a second-place finish at the NAIA national championships. Leonard is the 16th four-time state wrestling champion in Montana history while Johnson set several MSU records and qualified for the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships in the 400 meters.

The Montana Little Sullivan awards are announced in early May.