Duncan Hamilton and Kola Bad Bear win the 2023 Montana AAU Little Sullivan Award
05/08/2023
Montana State athletes, Duncan Hamilton and Kola Bad Bear take home the AAU Little Sullivan Award on May 6, 2023.
By: Troy MacNeill
BILLINGS, Mont. (May 8, 2023) – It was a big night for the Montana State Bobcats as two of their top athletes were named winners of the 2023 Montana AAU Little Sullivan Award. Montana State Cross Country standout, Duncan Hamilton, and Montana State Women’s Basketball star, Kola Bad Bear, were honored as the winners of the AAU Little Sullivan Award on Saturday, May 6th during the Montana AAU Little Sullivan Banquet.
The Little Sullivan Award was first presented in Montana in 1955. Criteria for being a nominee for the statewide award includes: athletic excellence, leadership, character, sportsmanship and ideals of amateurism. All of the finalists for the award are not only standouts on the field, but also show incredible sportsmanship and are leaders of the playing surface.
Duncan Hamilton becomes the second straight Montana State male athlete to win the award. Last year saw MSU football star, Troy Andersen win the award. Andersen is now working on Sundays, playing linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons. Like Andersen, Hamilton made a name for himself while at MSU.
Hamilton, a senior, ran Cross Country and would participate in distance races in track and field. He became one of only two Montana State Bobcats to compete at the NCAA Championships three times over his four-year college career. In 2022 and 2021, Hamilton won the prestigious Montana Mile, a highlight race of the summer that is featured during the Big Sky State Games Opening Ceremonies at Daylis Stadium in Billings. Both years he set a record in winning the race with a 4:04.83 in 2022 and a 4:06.23 in 2021. In college, Hamilton won Big Sky titles in the steeplechase, as well as the indoor mile in 2023. After 8 NCAA meets, Hamilton has earned First Team All-American twice, and Second Team All American twice.
Hamilton also qualified for the Olympic Trials in Steeplechase in 2021. Hamilton doesn’t plan on slowing down with the running anytime soon. He is currently in the process of picking the best team to run for professionally.
MSU Women’s Basketball forward, Kola Bad Bear took home the 2023 Female AAU Little Sullivan, following Olympian, Ali Weisz’s footsteps. Weisz won the award last year after representing team USA in the 2021 Olympics.
Bad Bear was a member of three 20-win teams with the Bobcats. She earned All-Big Sky second-team honors this year and was a third-team all-conference selection as a junior. This past year, Bad Bear started all 27 games she played in and averaged 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as the Bobcats finished 20-11. Bad Bear was one of the key players in the 2021-22 season that saw the Bobcats win the Big Sky Conference tournament and earn a bid into March Madness.
Off the court, Bad Bear was also a leader in raising awareness at MSU and the across the area for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. Kola was born in Pryor on the Crow Indian Reservation before moving to Billings, Montana. With one year of eligibility left, Bad Bear has entered the transfer portal and looks to continue her success on the court.
Female finalists for the 2023 Montana AAU Little Sullivan were: Ayla Embry, Bozeman, Rocky Mountain College, volleyball; Brittanee Fisher, Billings, Montana State Billings (senior in 2022), softball; and Sophia Stiles, Malta, Florida Gulf Coast, basketball.
Male finalists for the 2023 Montana AAU Little Sullivan were: Robby Hauck, Missoula, Montana, football; Jacob Morgan, Billings, Mary, wrestling; and Patrick O’Connell, Kalispell, Montana, football.
The Amateur Athletic Union is incredibly proud of all of the nominees. They are true examples of leaders that show strong character, sportsmanship, and the love of the sports they play. Continue to be excellent both on and off the playing surface!
To read more about the 2023 Montana AAU Little Sullivan Award, visit the Montana Standard.
BILLINGS, Mont. (May 8, 2023) – It was a big night for the Montana State Bobcats as two of their top athletes were named winners of the 2023 Montana AAU Little Sullivan Award. Montana State Cross Country standout, Duncan Hamilton, and Montana State Women’s Basketball star, Kola Bad Bear, were honored as the winners of the AAU Little Sullivan Award on Saturday, May 6th during the Montana AAU Little Sullivan Banquet.
The Little Sullivan Award was first presented in Montana in 1955. Criteria for being a nominee for the statewide award includes: athletic excellence, leadership, character, sportsmanship and ideals of amateurism. All of the finalists for the award are not only standouts on the field, but also show incredible sportsmanship and are leaders of the playing surface.
Duncan Hamilton becomes the second straight Montana State male athlete to win the award. Last year saw MSU football star, Troy Andersen win the award. Andersen is now working on Sundays, playing linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons. Like Andersen, Hamilton made a name for himself while at MSU.
Hamilton, a senior, ran Cross Country and would participate in distance races in track and field. He became one of only two Montana State Bobcats to compete at the NCAA Championships three times over his four-year college career. In 2022 and 2021, Hamilton won the prestigious Montana Mile, a highlight race of the summer that is featured during the Big Sky State Games Opening Ceremonies at Daylis Stadium in Billings. Both years he set a record in winning the race with a 4:04.83 in 2022 and a 4:06.23 in 2021. In college, Hamilton won Big Sky titles in the steeplechase, as well as the indoor mile in 2023. After 8 NCAA meets, Hamilton has earned First Team All-American twice, and Second Team All American twice.
Hamilton also qualified for the Olympic Trials in Steeplechase in 2021. Hamilton doesn’t plan on slowing down with the running anytime soon. He is currently in the process of picking the best team to run for professionally.
MSU Women’s Basketball forward, Kola Bad Bear took home the 2023 Female AAU Little Sullivan, following Olympian, Ali Weisz’s footsteps. Weisz won the award last year after representing team USA in the 2021 Olympics.
Bad Bear was a member of three 20-win teams with the Bobcats. She earned All-Big Sky second-team honors this year and was a third-team all-conference selection as a junior. This past year, Bad Bear started all 27 games she played in and averaged 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game as the Bobcats finished 20-11. Bad Bear was one of the key players in the 2021-22 season that saw the Bobcats win the Big Sky Conference tournament and earn a bid into March Madness.
Off the court, Bad Bear was also a leader in raising awareness at MSU and the across the area for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People. Kola was born in Pryor on the Crow Indian Reservation before moving to Billings, Montana. With one year of eligibility left, Bad Bear has entered the transfer portal and looks to continue her success on the court.
Female finalists for the 2023 Montana AAU Little Sullivan were: Ayla Embry, Bozeman, Rocky Mountain College, volleyball; Brittanee Fisher, Billings, Montana State Billings (senior in 2022), softball; and Sophia Stiles, Malta, Florida Gulf Coast, basketball.
Male finalists for the 2023 Montana AAU Little Sullivan were: Robby Hauck, Missoula, Montana, football; Jacob Morgan, Billings, Mary, wrestling; and Patrick O’Connell, Kalispell, Montana, football.
The Amateur Athletic Union is incredibly proud of all of the nominees. They are true examples of leaders that show strong character, sportsmanship, and the love of the sports they play. Continue to be excellent both on and off the playing surface!
To read more about the 2023 Montana AAU Little Sullivan Award, visit the Montana Standard.
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