March 10, 2026

HELENA, Mont. – The 2025-26 Frontier Conference Women’s Basketball Champions of Character, presented by WinWon Technologies, were announced Tuesday.  The eight qualifying teams at the conference postseason tournament were honored prior to their quarterfinals contest on Feb. 27-28 at Butte Civic Center in Butte, Mont.

The head coach from each Frontier Conference member selects the recipient that fits to the NAIA’s Champions of Character initiative program’s five cores that include integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.

The mission of the NAIA’s Champions of Character program is to provide training to instill the values that build character so that students, coaches, and parents know, do, and value the right thing on and off the field.

The Champions of Character helps participants find balance by keeping the five core values – integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership – at the heart of the athletics experience.  In the NAIA, we strive to be The Right Way to Play!

Below are the recipients for the Champions of Character with the comments from each coach:

Bellevue (Neb.)
Mailey Malone – sophomore from Omaha, Neb.

“Mailey is one of the most encouraging and supportive players that genuinely wants to see everyone succeed. She's one of the hardest working teammates you can ask for; she's dedicated in the classroom as well as the court, always giving everything she has and more. Mailey is a high character and honest young student athlete that prides herself in preparation and work ethic.”

Bismarck State (N.D.)
Natalie DeCoteau – junior from St. John, N.D.

“She gives her time to support youth in our community by officiating local youth basketball tournaments and serving as the head coach of a 6th-grade girls’ school basketball team, where she models teamwork, discipline, and respect. Natalie also volunteers at community events such as the Bismarck Street Fair, working fundraisers to support local causes. In addition, she is an active member of the Bridge the Gap group, where she mentors Native American high school students and helps them prepare for college and future success.”

Carroll (Mont.)
Isabelle Erickson – redshirt senior from Broadview, Mont.

“Isabelle carries a 3.96 in Biology. She is a two-year team captain and is the leader on and off the court for our team. Isabelle devotes countless hours to serving in her community, preparing for her MCAT's and Med School interviews, training, rehabbing and leading our team. She encompasses every quality of being a Champion of Character.”

Dakota State (S.D.)
Brooke Gunderson – senior from Buffalo, Minn.

“Brooke is an amazing student, teammate and athlete. Brooke embodies our program and culture, worked herself into a key member of our rotation.”

Dickinson State (N.D.)
Brae Eneboe – senior from Conrad, Mont.

“Brae is always positive and supportive of her teammates. She gives her best every single day not only for herself but for her teammates. She is one of our better players and one of our hardest workers. She is loved by all her teammates.”

Mayville State (N.D.)
Hannah Stark – junior from Granite Falls, Minn.

“Hannah treats teammates, coaches, and officials with respect, takes ownership of her actions, and never makes excuses. When things get hard, she responds with toughness and a team-first mindset. Her character isn’t something she turns on for games—it’s who she is in practice, in the locker room, and in how she represents our program.”

Montana Tech
Liv Wangerin – senior from Plentywood, Mont.

“Liv defines the term student-athlete. Her dedication to academics and athletics is second to none. The Plentywood native has been named to the Academic All-Conference team three times and was an All-Conference selection last year. A captain for the Orediggers, Liv will graduate with a 4.0 GPA and a degree in Exercise Health Science this spring. Liv has demonstrated the five core values of the NAIA as well as any student-athlete who has ever attended Montana Tech. Along with her teammates, Liv has volunteered her time to helping the Butte community in a variety of ways such as: collecting food for the local food bank, serving the community lunch at the Knight of Columbus, reading to elementary students, serving meals at the Belmont Senior Center, volunteering for the United Way, and participating in The Digger Walk to School Day.

Coach Graham had this to say about Liv, “She is one of the most dependable and hardworking people I have ever been around. Her ability to balance her classes, job shadowing, volunteer projects, and basketball is amazing. All the success Liv has experienced is due to the unwavering support of her family, teammates, and friends. Liv has been an instrumental part in turning the Montana Tech Women’s Basketball program around. She’s the model student-athlete we are looking for in future recruits.”

Montana Western
Isabella Lund – senior from Tumwater, Wash.

“Isabella is the same in all she does regardless of who is around her. Any 'team' she is a part of moving forward will be made better and have more integrity because of her presence.”

MSU-Northern
Shania Moananu – junior – Kalihi, Hawaii

“Shania is a team-first player who is always looking out for others. She's the first to step up and help no matter what is being asked of her. She spends countless volunteer hours in the Havre area and at MSU-Northern and is well-respected by her teammates and coaches. She has also had to persevere through 3 ACL injuries during her career and has always maintained a positive attitude no matter what the circumstances might be. She is a great ambassador for MSU-Northern and Skylight basketball.”

Providence (Mont.)
Bella Triemstra – freshman from Churchill, Mont.

“Bella is a great teammate and does things the right way always on the court in the classroom and represent what it means to be ARGO in the community.”

Rocky Mountain (Mont.)
Isabella Morris – junior from Clancy, Mont.

“Izzy is hard working, and the ultimate teammate. She is always the first to volunteer when the team needs something. Thank you, Izzy for all you do for our program.”

Valley City State (N.D.)
Aubrey Prunty – senior from Weaverville, Calif.

"Aubrey is our Champion of Character because she consistently exemplifies our conference’s core values of integrity, respect, and sportsmanship. As a senior, she remained committed to showing up and working hard regardless of the circumstances she faced. Aubrey demonstrated true leadership both on and off the court, setting a positive example for her teammates. She approached every challenge with resilience and handled adversity with grace, embodying the character and values this recognition represents."