PUEBLO, Colo. – On Sunday evening in the Occhiato Student Center Ballroom, the Colorado State University Pueblo student-athletes celebrated the opening of the 2025-26 school year with the department's annual Total Program Meeting.
All the Pack's 550 student-athletes across its 20 athletic programs gathered in the OSC Ballroom and listened to CSU Pueblo Vice President of Athletics and Strategic Partnerships
Dr. Paul Plinske discuss the history of the athletics program, and prior listening to guest speaker Craig Dormann talk about "Unlocking Your Pro Mindset", Dr. Plinske unveiled the nominees and winners of the 2025-26 Tundra Spirit of the Pack Award.
The Tundra Spirit of the Pack Award, which was first awarded in 2020, is given to the student-athlete who most exemplifies the heart of the ThunderWolf spirit. Through selfless loyalty, dedication, and support of their teammates, the student encourages and inspires their teammates to be at their best not only on the field but as active members of the community. This student's enthusiasm and devotion to their Pack Family and CSU Pueblo embody the true spirit of the Pack.
This season, there were 18 nominees for the Tundra Spirit of the Pack Award – eight male student-athletes and 10 female student-athletes and this year's recipients of the seventh-annual Tundra Spirit of the Pack Award were senior men's basketball guard
Sam Howery (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary's) and junior women's golfer
Lisa Ekberg (Kungsbacka, Sweden/Aranäsgymnasiet).
Howery and Ekberg were the first student-athletes from their respective sports to earn the Tundra Spirit of the Park Award since the award's inception in 2020. Both Howery and Ekberg will receive a $1,000 scholarship (on top of their current award), and the award is given on behalf of Carol and Mark Rickman.
"We are proud to congratulate
Sam Howery on being honored with the Tundra Spirit of the Pack Award. Sam represents everything this award stands for — selfless loyalty, unwavering dedication, and a genuine care for his teammates and the Pack community," said Pack first-year men's basketball head coach
Zach Ruebesam. "His example sets a standard for all of us, and we are grateful to have him as part of our program as we head into a new era of Pack Basketball. We also extend a special thank you to Carol and Mark Rickman for their incredible support of Pack Athletics."
Howery is a two-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference First-Team All-Academic selection and has played in 66 games and made six starts the past three seasons for the Pack men's basketball team. In his career, he has scored 151 points, pulled down 99 rebounds, dished out 100 assists, collected 40 steals, and has hit 23 career 3-pointers and has a 1.5 career assist/turnover ratio. As a junior in 2024-25, Howery played in 22 games and made one start, and in 22 games, he averaged 3.4 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and had a 1.5 assist/turnover ratio.
"I am so happy and proud of
Lisa Ekberg for earning the Tundra Spirit of the Pack Award. It is well deserved as she shows what it truly means to not only be a talented golfer but also a supportive teammate to those around her," said Pack head women's golf coach
Tammy Lim.
Ekberg earned First-Team All-RMAC honors as a sophomore in 2024-25 after being named the RMAC Freshman of the Year in 2023-24. She has been a part of two straight RMAC Championships with the Pack and has played in two straight NCAA Division II West Regional Championships.
The head coaches nominated the student-athletes, and those nominees are selected for the award by an "esteemed" panel in the athletics department.
In addition to Howery and Ekberg, the other 2025-26 Tundra Spirit of the Park Award nominees were as follows:
Male Student-Athletes
Neico Alire – Cheerleading
Solomon Arnds-Volcin – Wrestling
Jason Arriola – Baseball
Sebastian DeMark – Soccer
Sam Howery – Basketball
Lukas Moran – Cross Country/Track and Field
Agustin Pizzorno – Golf
Domingo Prince II – Football
Female Student-Athletes
Helen Braybrook – Cross Country/Track and Field
Destinee Earle – Cheerleading
Lisa Ekberg – Golf
Madelyn Huerta – Softball
Megan Mattingly – Volleyball
Faith Moa – Soccer
Carla Sanchez Guareno – Swimming
Genesis Sweetwine – Basketball
Yelena Travica – Tennis
Reese Wasmund – Lacrosse
Here are the previous recipients of the Tundra Spirit of the Pack Award.
2020
Jenna McKinley (Women's Track and Field)
Marcelo Laguera (Men's Cross Country/Track and Field)
2021
The Pack
2022
Brianna Fong (Cheerleading)
Clay Kucera (Men's Golf)
2023
Hannah Delor (Volleyball)
Nate Miller (Men's Track and Field)
2024
Katherine Higgins (Women's Track and Field)
Eli Pittman (Football)
2025
Margot Thomas-Gatel (Women's Cross Country/Track and Field)
Ignatius DeMark (Men's Soccer)
2026
Lisa Ekberg (Women's Golf)
Sam Howery (Men's Basketball)
