Montana State University-Northern announced the winners of the school’s Male and Female Athlete of the Year Awards April 4. Stacie Barker, a 6’3” post player from Taylorsville, Utah, and Marc Samson, a 5’8” defensive back from Helena, Montana received the awards at a presentation at MSU-Northern’s annual Spring Fling and Auction. Barker and Samson are the first two recipients of the awards, created this year at MSU-Northern to honor the school’s top male and female athletes.

Barker, a junior college transfer from the College of Eastern Utah, was a First Team All-Frontier selection as well as the 2008 Frontier Conference Defensive Player of the Year. She led all of NAIA Division I basketball in shot blocks with 5.06 per game, and was fourth nationally in rebounds per game (10.48). She also ranked third nationally in defensive rebounds per game at 7.62. Stacie set a single-season Skylight record for blocks with 147. Her 147 total blocks this season also surpassed the career mark for blocks at MSU-Northern. She amassed 9 blocks in a game on three different occasions, also a single-game school record.

    Stacie Barker  

Samson, a four-year starter for the Lights, is a 3-time NAIA All-American. He was a 2006 and 2007 First Team All-American selection by the NAIA, and a 2005, 2006, and 2007 pick by the Victory Sports Network. Marc was also a four-time NAIA Academic All-American with an overall Grade Point Average of 3.83. In 2007, he ranked first nationally in pass breakups (18) and sixth in interceptions. Samson was an All-Frontier Conference honoree, as he earned Second Team honors as a freshman, and First Team honors as a sophomore, junior, and senior. One of the most decorated football players in Lights’ history, Samson finished his career holding 14 MSU-Northern records. In April, Samson was also awarded a National Football Hall of Fame Scholarship.

    Marc Samson