Coconino News

Emily Rodabaugh and Nico Young have been recognized as Northern Arizona University's Big Sky Conference Scholar-Athletes of the Year. The announcement was made by the league office, acknowledging their achievements both in athletics and academics during their time at NAU.

Rodabaugh, a former member of the NAU women's basketball team, completed two undergraduate degrees and maintained a perfect 4.0 GPA while pursuing her Master's in leadership in criminal justice administration. Her academic excellence earned her four Golden Eagle Scholar awards and five appearances on the Big Sky All-Academic team. Athletically, she achieved an honorable mention All-Big Sky nod in the 2023-24 season and holds several records at NAU, including being sixth on the all-time scoring list with 1,357 career points.

Young graduated with a 3.9 GPA in health science, nutrition, and foods. He concluded his collegiate career by finishing runner-up at the Division I NCAA Outdoor National Championships in the 5,000-meters. Young will compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics after placing third in the Olympic Trials and signing a professional contract with adidas.

During his final year at NAU, Young had notable performances across cross country and track events. He won consecutive Big Sky individual titles in cross country and set records during indoor track season, including running a sub-four-minute mile at high altitude and setting a collegiate record for the 5,000-meter run. He became a two-time national champion at the NCAA National Championships by winning both the 3K and 5K events.

A total of 22 student-athletes from full-time members and football affiliates of Big Sky were honored this year. To qualify for this recognition, athletes must have completed their intercollegiate athletic eligibility or be graduating seniors with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale.