2024 Baden Fall Athletes of the Year Announced

VANCOUVER, Wash. - The NWAC has announced its recepients for the 2024 Fall Baden Athlete of the Year awards for men's and women's cross country, men's and women's soccer, and volleyball.

The winners are Spokane's Gilbert Langat for men's cross country, Clark's Mia Beightol for women's cross country, Peninsula's Nil Grau for men's soccer, Peninsula's Shawna Larson for women's soccer and Skagit Valley's Hayden Claeys for volleyball.

Gilbert Langat • Spokane • Men's Cross Country

Langat becomes the second-straight Spokane men's cross country runner to win Baden Runner of the Year after taking first place at the 2024 NWAC Men's Cross Country Championship. Langat, running in just his first year of cross country, blazed ahead of the pack to win comfortably in 25:34.2. The win for Langat makes two-straight medalists for the Sasquatch as he followed up Luke Hurd from 2023. Langat jumped out to the lead in the first 2,000 meters and did not let up for the entirety of the race.

With his first-place finish, Langat led Spokane to its 24th overall men's cross country title and second in a row. The Sasquatch showed their overall team depth, finishing with two All-Americans and five of the top-13 runners.

Mia Beightol • Clark • Women's Cross Country

Beightol earns NWAC Runner of the Year, the second in a row for the Clark Penguins after Sydnee Boothby won the honor in 2023.  Beightol finished first with a time of 18:18.4. She ran neck-and-neck with Spokane's top duo of Kaley Bohl and Mary Nakamura through the first 3,000 meters of the race, but pulled away in the final 2K loop to win by over 14 seconds. Her medalist helped the Penguins take second place overall.

Beightol was also the Southern Regional Champion with a time of 18:35.6.

Nil Grau • Peninsula • Men's Soccer

Grau had a dominant offensive season, leading the NWAC with 15 goals and 50 points. He was also fourth in assists with 12 and second in shots with 73. Grau was an offensive force and helped Peninsula win its second-straight NWAC Men's Soccer Championship. Grau was a part of the championship team both seasons.

Despite playing through an injury in the postseason, Grau came up big in the finals with the game-winning goal in the 22nd minute. He later assisted on tournament MVP Ezrah Ochao's second goal of the game to solidfy the victory and title for the Pirates. The sophomore forward finishes his Peninsula career with 27 goals, 22 assists, 76 points, two NWAC championships, a tournament MVP and now Baden Player of the Year award.

Shawna Larson • Peninsula • Women's Soccer

Larson had an all-around incredible year for the Pirates, leading the NWAC in points with 35 while hoisting the NWAC trophy at the end of the season. Larson was second in the conference with 13 goals, while dishing out the most assists with nine. She was the best scorer on the NWAC's best offense that finished with 74 total goals, while allowing just four.

The sophomore forward helped lead Peninsula to a perfect season, finishing with a 15-0 record. The Pirates had three shutout victories in the postseason to win their NWAC-best sixth women's soccer title.

Hayden Claeys • Skagit Valley • Volleyball

Claeys was an outstanding leader for Skagit Valley as she led them to their first-ever NWAC volleyball title. Claeys and the Cardinals won in a dramatic five-set finals over undefeated and three-time defending champions Linn-Benton. Claeys was named the tournament MVP as she played all six rotations for the entire tournment, recording 157 total assists, 36 digs, eight block assists, seven kills and five aces. 

During the regular season, Claeys easily led the NWAC in both total assists (1,377) and assists per set (10.76). Both numbers are the highest in the NWAC since 2019. She also ranked second in the NWAC with 65 aces and was 34th overall with 315 digs, an impressive number for a setter.

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