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The Big Sky State Games has teamed up with the CHARACTER COUNTS! Coalition and Mountain Alarm Fire and Security to recognize the importance of sportsmanship and character in Montana student athletes. CHARACTER COUNTS! is a nonprofit organization striving to improve the character of today’s youth. It is based on common ethical values that transcend political, religious, socio-economic, and cultural differences. Called the “Six Pillars of Character,” these values are: trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Character Counts! Scholarship is sponsored by Mountain Alarm Fire and Security.
Over the past twenty-three years, the Big Sky State Games has awarded the Character Counts! Scholarship to outstanding Montana female and male student-citizen-athletes involved in the Big Sky State Games. The scholarship can be used for any secondary education after high school. This includes trade schools and community colleges.
Only high school juniors during the 2023-2024 school year are eligible for this scholarship. This is to ensure that fellow students can observe the scholarship winners during their senior year and to recognize the traits the students show. You can fill out the application below. It will also be available at all Montana High Schools Guidance Counselor offices.
Online Scholarship FormThe Big Sky State Games selected Keatin Hertz of Billings Senior High School, Julia Kunau of Fergus High School, Logan Cole of Billings Senior High School, and Delayne Lindeen of Huntley Project High School as the recipients of the 2023 Big Sky State Games Character Counts! Scholarship. The $500 scholarship winners were recognized at the 38th Annual Big Sky State Games Opening Ceremonies event.
The winners were selected based on their character, community involvement, and participation in sports. Character Counts! promotes sportsmanship and fosters good character by teaching, enforcing, advocating, and modeling, the "Six Pillars of Character": trustworthiness, respect, responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship
Keatin Hertz, has competed in the State games for the past eight years in five different events (Tennis, Ballroom Dancing, Golf, Road Race, and Opening Ceremonies). Hertz holds a 4.53 Cumulative GPA at Billings Senior High School. He has the awards in Jazz band, Montana Eagle scout of the year, Drum Corps Leader, District Music Festival awards, National History Day County, State, and National Champion, and DMK Percussionist award.
Julia Kunau has competed in Dance in the State Games since 2014. Kunau is a student at Fergus High School participating in National Honor Society, Class President, Sophomore, and Class A State Champion in debate, Business Professionals of America,, finalist in State Olympiad in Medical Health Events, and received the Daughters of American Revolution Youth Citizenship award 2020. Kunau has the work experience of lifeguarding, being a barista, and a choreographer of dance at the Dance Syndicate.
Logan Cole has been a Big Sky State Games participant in soccer from 2014-2015 and Track and Field from 2016-2017. His academic and athletic accomplishments at Billings Senior High School include holding a 4.61 Cumulative GPA, participating in National Honors Society, Senior Advocates, NHSA High School All American Award and 3X Academic All State.
Delayne Lindeen has participated in Volleyball in both team and quad categories since 2018. Lindeen attends Huntley Project High School holding a 4.0 cumulative GPA and participates in Volleyball and Track and Field. For three years she has received academic All State in Volleyball as well as Track and Field, and has spent two years in the National Honors Society. Lindeen has an entrepreneurial mindset being self employed since 2020 and is a lifeguard at Oasis.
| Year | Name | City |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Ella Breen | Laurel |
| Kaiya Graves | Laurel | |
| Mya Mack | Laurel | |
| Tucker Rick | Billings | |
| Teylor Ronish | Billings | |
| 2021 | Sierra Nagle | Circle |
| Dayton Magone | Billings | |
| Parker Friday | Billings | |
| Ryan Dolan | Billings | |
| Bailey Graves | Laurel | |
| 2020 | Ruff Elton | Red Lodge |
| Connor Chase | Billings | |
| Morgan Maack | Laurel | |
| Kylie Zimmer | Fergus | |
| Riley Gilsdorf | Billings | |
| 2019 | Sam George | Billings |
| Emily Poole | Huntley | |
| Audrey Sipler | Big Sandy | |
| Jessica Swandal | Billings | |
| 2018 | Devin Amtmann | Butte |
| Karter Bernhardt | Billings | |
| Loren Murphy | Huntley Project | |
| Shea Dolan | Billings | |
| Hannah Hirschi | Billings | |
| 2017 | Maysen Whitney | Billings |
| Madison Gilsdorf | Billings | |
| Makenzy Gilsdorf | Billings | |
| Skyler Robinson | Baker | |
| 2016 | Cory Kistler | Huntley Project |
| Mick Mattie | Billings | |
| Kelsey Kraft | Laurel | |
| Hailey Poole | Colstrip | |
| 2015 | Spencer Drange | Laurel |
| Jacob Michels | Shepherd | |
| Hannah Amtmann | Butte | |
| Abbigail Lohof | Laurel | |
| 2014 | Madison McLaughlin | Helena |
| Solenn Jacobsen | Baker | |
| Wylie Leo | Ennis | |
| Michael Buster | Laurel | |
| 2013 | Mikaela Robinson | Billings |
| Sara Heard | Billings | |
| James Riley | Broadus | |
| Logan Laird | Billings | |
| 2012 | Ashton McLaughlin | Helena |
| Martha Dembek | Winnett | |
| Michael Schwehr | Lavina | |
| Nick Staffileno | Billings | |
| 2011 | Alain Jacobsen | Baker |
| Zach Holmes | Billings | |
| Brianna Jo Robinson | Billings | |
| Emily Grace Walker | Huntley | |
| 2010 | Lindsey Fleming | Billings |
| Taylor Kufeld | Billings | |
| Ryan Hensleigh | Colstrip | |
| Anthony Bengochea | Nashua | |
| 2009 | Ashley Crowe | Billings |
| Kacie Chatwood | Billings | |
| Thomas Bonogofsky | Belfry | |
| Thomas Staffileno | Billings | |
| 2008 | Cord Blanchard | Great Falls |
| Emily Carroll | Billings | |
| Kylie Medicine Horse | Pryor | |
| Tim Kienitz | Billings | |
| 2007 | Auriele Fain | Billings |
| Casey Rogers | Billings | |
| Stephanie Stremcha | Havre | |
| Rick Haluszka | Harlem | |
| 2006 | Bridgett Hoenke | Billings |
| Leo Davis | Billings | |
| 2005 | Ashley Grammens | Lavina |
| Chad McMillan | Billings | |
| 2004 | Alexa McLaughlin | Helena |
| Josh Hedge | Billings | |
| 2003 | Allison Peterson | Sidney |
| Chris Blanchard | Great Falls | |
| 2002 | Sara Patterson | Great Falls |
| Patrick Riley | Bozeman | |
| 2001 | Hannah Warfield | Sidney |
| Shane Hensleigh | Colstrip | |
| 2000 | Jenny Doely | Billings |
| Jeff Graham | Chester |
