DENVER, Colo. - The Second Annual Sam Batey Sr. Legacy Golf Tournament at Denver City Park Golf Course, which was held on Friday, July 26, 2024, continues to provide endowment funds for Colorado State University Pueblo student athletes with more than $12,000 raised to support a scholarship named for the 2012 Pack Athletics Hall of Famer.
 
With the Colorado capital city skyline and the mountains of the Centennial State in the background, the morning event concluded with senior two-time All-American women's basketball player Alisha Little (Aurora, Colo./Northern Colorado) being named as the recipient of the Sam Batey Sr. Legacy Scholarship at an early afternoon luncheon.

With the passing of Batey in mid-July 2021, his family of wife Barbara and children Sam Jr. and Dana created the endowed scholarship in Sam's name with the recipient being chosen from a candidate pool of student-athletes at CSU Pueblo that are from the Denver metro area and compete in basketball, golf, lacrosse or tennis. 

CSU Pueblo's Vice President for Athletics and Strategic Partnerships Dr. Paul Plinske received a $11,000 check from the Batey Family (Dana, Barbara and Sam Jr.) to support the Sam Batey Sr. Legacy Scholarship.
 
Little who was picked from a list Pack student-athletes, attended the luncheon with her family and gave another "moving" speech after being named the recipient of the Sam Batey Sr. Legacy Scholarship for the second straight academic year that starts next month.

After missing the 2022-2023 campaign due to giving birth to her daughter Genesis in late February 2023, Little returned to action in 2023-24 where she was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Year after leading the NCAA Division II in blocked shots with 116 in 32 games for a 3.6 average per game. 

Little, who also fifth nationally in scoring with a 20.8 average, also led the nation in double-doubles (points and rebounds) with 24. She also ranked second in NCAA Division II in rebound average per game (11.9) and fourth in total rebounds (384).  The 2023-2024 Pack finished with a 17-15 record and earned a semifinal appearance in the RMAC Tournament after defeating top-seeded Colorado Mesa in the quarterfinal round in Grand Junction, Colo.
 
A First-Team All-RMAC honoree in 2021-2022, Little led the Pack to a 23-9 record, a second-place finish during the league's regular and postseason, and a berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament. She led the Pack in scoring, rebounding, shot-blocking and field goal percentage in 2021-2022 as she finished second in the RMAC in rebounding (7.7 per game) and field goal percentage (47.3%), fifth in scoring (16.6), ninth in steals (2.0) and 11th in free throw percentage (72.9).
 
In 114 career collegiate games, including 56 contests at Northern Colorado (2019-2021), Little has scored 1,898 points (16.6 a game), grabbed 1,050 rebounds (9.2), blocked 320 shots and been credited with 200 steals.She has 50 career double-doubles, while shooting 50.7 percent from the field and 70.4 percent from the free throw line.  Little's 1,898 points in 12th all-time in Colorado collegiate women's history and her 1,050 rebound total is seventh all-time.
 
At Grandview High School, Little's teams won two state titles and had one runner-up finish during her career. She was an All-State selection in basketball and won a state high jump title in track and field as a senior.
 
The daughter of Andra and Monique Davis and married to Malcolm Little, Little has two younger sisters (Amber and Andrea). Her father played 10 seasons in the NFL (Cleveland, 2002-2008, Denver 2009 and Buffalo, 2010-2011).
 
As for the golf tournament, two foursomes with CSU Pueblo tied for the top prize with the winning team being decided by seeing who posted the best scores on the toughest holes (#13 and #16) at the par 70, 5,776-yard Denver City Park layout.  Here are the final scores with the list of team members.
 
1.    53 - Steve Saunders, Lee Saunders, Reed Saunders, Jeff Martin (first hole tiebreaker a 3 on #13)
2.    53 - Matt Hammer, Tanner Cooke, Nick Ferrrarini, Ryan Potts (first hole tiebreaker a 4 on #13)
3.    57 - Todd Kelly, Nick Lopez, David Gudanowski, Bobby Applegate (second hole tiebreaker a 2 on #16)
4.    57 - Kevin Childress, Brielle Austin, Martin Blunt, Anthony Spikes (second hole tiebreaker a 3 on #16)
5.    59 - Michael Wristen, Kevin Ribarich, Quinn Vandekoppel , Kyle Rosenbrock (2nd hole tiebreaker a 2 on #16)
6.    59 - K Haynes, MaryEtta Curtis, Michael Sapp, Darrell Anderson (second hole tiebreaker a 3 on #16)
7.    60 - Aaron Green, John Nichols II, Andrè Wilson, Derrick Maes
8.    61 - Jim Brooks, Ron DeLeon, Greg DeLeon, Larry Romero (first hole tiebreaker a 3 on #13)
9.    61 - Charles Hurley, Brett Burke, Andrew Miller, Mike Maffucci (first hole tiebreaker a 4 on #13)
10.  62 - John Wristen, Dr. Paul Plinske, John Trahan, Verne Harris
11.  63 - AJ Baer, Gary Ozzello, Steve Ferrero, Chris Stengle
12.  64 - Brooklyn Batey, Pryce Batey, Jamere Jenkins, Morgan Batey
13.  66 - Jep Seman, Kyle Mullica, Landon Gates, Reid DeSpiegelaere
14.  67 - Chuck Elwood, Taz Walker
15.  69 - Deidra Walker, Janice Napper, Loretta Lovell, Bridgette Tolbert
16.  70 - Barbara Batey, Dana Batey, Sam Batey Jr., Ronald Jackson Sr.
17.  71 - Eric Farone, Tom Kalous, Mike Kalous, Tyler Nicholson
18.  73 - Joseph Jackson, Ron Jackson Jr., Jawad Shakir, Tony Winston

Dixon Golf representatives were also on the course Friday at two holes (#5 & #15) where the golfers had "fun" opportunities to win prizes while providing more than $1,400 to the Sam Batey Sr. Legacy Scholarship.