COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – New Mexico baseball player Akili Carris and Boise State distance runner Kaiya Robertson are the 2025-26 Mountain West Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, respectively.

Established by the Mountain West Joint Council in 1999, the MW Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award is the highest honor presented to a student-athlete by the Conference. The award is bestowed annually to one male and one female who best exemplify the term “student-athlete” by achieving excellence in academics, athletics, and community involvement over the course of their intercollegiate careers.

In addition to athletic achievement, recipients of the MW Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award must have a minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average, demonstrate leadership, and exhibit good character and conduct on and off the playing field. Each honoree will receive a $2,500 postgraduate scholarship.

Carris graduated from New Mexico with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in May 2025, completing his coursework in just three years with a 4.00 grade point average (GPA). Today, he is working toward a master’s in business administration and currently holds a 4.00 GPA.

The Albuquerque, New Mexico, native is a four-time MW Scholar-Athlete honoree and has been named to the Spring Academic All-MW team in each of the last three years.

On the field, Carris earned All-Mountain West honors in 2026 after playing in 51 games for the Lobos. He hit .323 with 61 hits, 42 RBIs and 41 runs scored while leading the Lobos to 29 wins on the season.

Carris is actively involved in the community, having volunteered at Lowell Elementary where he helped set up a Halloween haunted house and served Thanksgiving lunch to students and families. Arguably his biggest impact came at UNM Children’s Hospital, where he created a system in which student-athletes from all UNM sports visited the hospital throughout the year. Carris worked with hospital staff and directors, as well as Lobo student-athletes, to coordinate these visits.

On campus, Carris serves as president of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and is a member of the Faculty Athletic Council and Stadium and South Campus Development Committee.

Carris is New Mexico’s fifth MW Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year and first since men’s tennis player Samir Iftikhar in 2014-15.

Robertson graduated in May with a degree in health studies and a minor in psychology, finishing with a 4.00 GPA and earning summa cum laude honors. The Portland, Oregon, native was a five-time academic all-MW honoree and earned a spot on the MW Scholar-Athlete team from 2022-23 to 2024-25.

On the track, she earned second team All-America honors in 2026, after an All-American honorable mention in 2025. At the 2026 Mountain West Outdoor Track & Field Championships, she won the 1,500m and 800m races after winning the 800m at the MW Indoor Track & Field Championships in February. During her career in cross country and track & field, she has been named All-MW on nine occasions.

In her time as a Mountain West student-athlete, Robertson is a two-time NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships participant.

Robertson is the first Bronco to be named MW Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year since Courtney Blackson in 2023-24. Overall, Boise State has won the award three times.

MALE AND FEMALE SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR ALL-TIME LIST OF HONOREES

2025-26
Akili Carris, Baseball, New Mexico
Kaiya Robertson, Cross Country/Track & Field, Boise State

2024-25
Jackson Woodard, Football, UNLV
Aaliyah Jenkins, Softball, Nevada

2023-24
Drew Thompson, Men’s Track and Field, Colorado State
Courtney Blackson, Women’s Gymnastics, Boise State

2022-23
Austin Ajiake, Football, UNLV
Katelyn Mitchem, Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Wyoming

2021-22
Kekaula Kaniho, Football, Boise State
Michelle Roca, Women’s Track & Field, Air Force

2020-21
Christopher Henry, Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Wyoming
Gwen Maly, Women’s Soccer, New Mexico

2018-19
Nick Smith, Football, Wyoming
Allie Ostrander, Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field, Boise State

2017-18
Mason Hampton, Football, Boise State
Jinan Andrews, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Air Force

2016-17
Devin Wright, Men’s Track and Field, Utah State
Audra DeStefano, Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field, Wyoming

2015-16
Jordan Dobrich, Football, Nevada
Courtney Frerichs, Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field, New Mexico

2014-15
Samir Iftikhar, Men’s Tennis, New Mexico
Rebecca Esselstein, Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field, Air Force

2013-14
Christian Meyer, Men’s Cross Country/Track and Field, Colorado State
Darcie Anderson, Women’s Swimming, San José State

2012-13
Luke Ruff, Football, Wyoming
Chaundra Sewell, Women’s Basketball, Wyoming

2011-12
Greg Miller, Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Wyoming
Kelly Williamson, Women’s Volleyball, New Mexico

2010-11
Eric Robinson, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Air Force
Therese Koelbaek, Women’s Golf, UNLV

2009-10
Zane Beadles, Football, Utah
Simone Riford, Rifle, TCU

2008-09
Kellen Fowler, Football, BYU
Abigail Rogers, Gymnastics, Air Force

2007-08
Joseph Brown, Men’s Track & Field, TCU
April Thomas, Women’s’ Cross Country/Track & Field, Colorado State

2006-07
Lars Loseth, Men’s Skiing/Men’s Soccer, New Mexico
Blair Leake, Women’s Swimming & Diving, Air Force

2005-06
Matt Karmondy, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Air Force
Maja Kovacek, Women’s Tennis, New Mexico

2004-05
Morgan Scalley, Football, Utah
Lindsey Metcalf, Women’s Volleyball/Women’s Track & Field, BYU

2003-04
Sean Murray, Baseball, New Mexico
Delavane Diaz, Women’s Volleyball, Air Force

2002-03
John Dayton, Men’s Swimming & Diving, Air Force
Theresa Kulikowski, Gymnastics, Utah

2001-02
Teren Jameson, Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field, Utah
Shannon Bowles, Gymnastics, Utah

2000-01
John Greer, Football, UNLV
Liz Toman, Women’s Track & Field, Colorado State

1999-2000
Matthieu Amgwerd, Men’s Tennis, New Mexico
Katarina Malec, Women’s Tennis, UNLV