BILLINGS — A pair of single-sport standouts were named the Midland Roundtable’s Athletes of the Year Wednesday night before a crowd of roughly 300 at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.
Billings Skyview’s Breanna Williams is the 2024 female winner while the male award goes to Billings West’s Keyan Hernandez.
Williams is Montana’s two-time Gatorade girls basketball player of the year and helped Skyview win its first-ever state title a couple years ago, then did it again in March in leading the Falcons to a perfect 24-0 record. The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame requested one of her Skyview jerseys to hang in its ring of honor. Williams has a scholarship to play for the University of Maryland.
"I actually tried not to think about it," Williams said when asked about her day leading into the banquet. "I actually took a nap when I got home, kind of eased the nerves and then got ready. Right before that video (of all five female finalists during the banquet) ended, my heart started to pound a lot, so it means I'm human."
Hernandez will fulfill a lifelong dream to wrestle for the University of Iowa after a nearly spotless career at West. In February, he became the school’s only four-time state champion, helping the Bears win back-to-back team titles. He outscored high school opponents 1,212 to 10 and was never once put on his back. Hernandez recently won a national title at 126 pounds.
"Just to be recognized is an award for me. But right when I got up there (to the podium), speech just completely went gone, and that was probably not the best idea ... to wing it, but you know," he said with a big smile.
Last year's winners were Paolo Salminen of Billings Skyview and Rylee Kogolshak of Billings Senior.
The Midland Roundtable has chosen boys and girls athlete of the year winners from Billings every year since 1989.
Midland Roundtable Athlete of the Year
2024 Female finalists: Kourtney Grossman (West), Halle Haber (West), Torie Jamieson (Senior), Piper Jette (Senior), Breanna Williams (Skyview).
2024 Male finalists: Mackey Burckley (Senior), Tyce Casterline (Lockwood), Keyan Hernandez (West), Kyler Northrop (Central), Braden Zimmer (West).
