KBMW/B 92.7 is proud to announce its finalists for 2025 Winter Athlete of the Year, the second annual edition of seasonal sports awards presented by the i3G Sports Network. The inaugural Co-Athletes of the Year were Scout Woods (Wahpeton Girls Basketball) and Parker Yaggie (Breckenridge Girls Basketball). This year’s winner will be announced on the KBMW Facebook Page on Sunday, March 9.
2025 FINALISTS
Justice Christian (B-W Gymnastics)
The junior gymnast leaped to new heights (no pun intended) with an 18th place all-around (35.233) finish at the NDHSAA State Meet. Christian’s performance was punctuated by a personal-best 9.450 on the beam, earning a fourth place standing on the podium. The Storm standout also shined in the vault with a 9.100 to place 11th.
David Erlandson (B-W Wrestling)
Erlandson, a decorated wrestler since his junior high days, once again placed at the NDHSAA Class “A” State Tournament. The junior placed sixth in the 172-pound division, the highest mark among Breckenridge-Wahpeton grapplers. Erlandson finished the season with a 34-10 record.
Jikany Deang (NDSCS Basketball)
Deang was a physical force in the Wildcats’ frontcourt, punching home dunks and ripping away rebounds with averages of 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds. The 6-foot-11 forward also provided plus shooting from beyond the arc, knocking down 33% of his 138 threes across 23 games.
Maggie Westling (NDSCS Basketball)
Maggie is simply a monster when it comes to production, getting it done night after night. Westling is one of the best post players in the NJCAA with averages of 20.1 points and 12.8 rebounds on 59 percent shooting. The 5-foot-10 freshman from Milaca, Minnesota, helped NDSCS defeat Lake Region State in the Region XIII Semifinals with a signature 19-point, 19-rebound double-double.
Aidan Sanchez (Breckenridge Basketball)
Sanchez has grown into a complete basketball player this season. The junior popped off with 24 points during the Cowboys’ overtime victory vs. border rival Wahpeton and also drained a floater at the buzzer to force OT against Pelican Rapids. The 6-foot-1 sophomore is averaging 12.9 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.5 steals. Sanchez swiped six steals against Hillcrest Lutheran Academy.
Scout Woods (Wahpeton Basketball)
The reigning co-recipient of this award, Woods finished her Lady Huskies career with 1,976 points — second in program history behind Tylee Irwin. Woods single-handedly carried Wahpeton for long stretches, averaging north of 20 points and six rebounds on the season. Woods was selected as Co-Region 1 Athlete of the Year, sharing honors with Haidyn Crockett of Northern Cass. The combo forward scored 22 points in Wahpeton’s playoff victory over Oak Grove, including the team’s first 10 to start the ballgame.
Parker Yaggie (Breckenridge Basketball)
The Cowgirls’ all-time leader in points, threes made and rebounds — Yaggie is a versatile player with one year left in her illustrious career. The junior helped Breckenridge win its first Heart O’ Lakes Conference title since 2001 with season averages of 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 steals. Yaggie’s emergence as a facilitator was crucial to Breckenridge’s undefeated regular season in section play. The Cowgirls closed out the year ranked No. 3 among 148 teams in Minnesota’s Class 1A.
Jaxson Lopez (B-W Hockey)
Lopez didn’t light the lamp at an alarming rate, but he did rack up assists in the 99th percentile. The sophomore dished out 21 “apples” to lead the Blades and scored eight goals for a total of 29 points. Three of those goals came during a playoff hat trick, when Lopez led Breckenridge-Wahpeton to its first-ever quarterfinal playoff victory over Prairie Centre. The Blades reached the 10-win mark after several years of struggles, marking a complete turnaround for the program.
Easton Neppl (B-W Hockey)
Neppl was the go-to scorer for Breckenridge-Wahpeton with a team-high 23 goals and 33 points. The sophomore helped lead the “Baby Blades” revolution as the young team surged into the top half of Section 6A. Neppl netted five power play goals and two game-winners, leading his squad with 1.22 points per contest.
Brayden Steffens (Wahpeton Basketball)
Brayden “The Beast” Steffens is a player who can take over the game, averaging 15.2 points on excellent 46/43/68 shooting splits. The uptick in three-point percentage resulted in a career-high 28 points against Oak Grove, who made the mistake of leaving Steffens unattended beyond the arc. Steffens averaged six rebounds and assists combined and just over one steal per game.
