Hangartner, Steen headline 2025-26 SC ESPY winners
INDIANOLA, Iowa – Two standout seniors who helped elevate their programs to new heights have earned the highest individual honor of the SC ESPYs, as Ashlyn Steen and CJ Hangartner have been named the 2025-26 Athletes of the Year.
Steen helped guide softball to its deepest postseason run in more than two decades, while Hangartner anchored a defense that led football to its first winning season since 2018.
CJ Hangartner, football
Hangartner capped one of the most accomplished defensive careers in recent program history by earning First Team All-American Rivers Conference honors for the third consecutive season and Third Team All-Region recognition for the third straight year. He became just the fourth player in Simpson football history to earn all-region honors three or more times in a career.
The senior linebacker helped lead Simpson to its first winning season since 2018 while anchoring a defense that ranked third nationally in red zone defense and produced five defensive touchdowns, the fourth-most in Division III.
A playmaker throughout the season, Hangartner totaled 49 tackles, including 10.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. He accounted for two of the Storm's defensive touchdowns, returning an interception 74 yards against Buena Vista and a fumble 63 yards against Augustana, while also forcing a fumble against Coe.
He finished his career with 38.0 tackles for loss, the second-highest total in program history, and 18.0 sacks, ranking fifth all-time.
Ashlyn Steen, softball
Steen put together one of the most accomplished careers in Simpson softball history while helping lead the Storm to a 41-win season, the program's first American Rivers Conference Tournament championship, and a Women's College World Series semifinal appearance.
The senior outfielder earned NFCA Second Team All-America honors, First Team All-Region recognition, and First Team All-Conference accolades for the fourth consecutive season, becoming just the third player in program history to achieve that distinction. She was also named the American Rivers Conference Position Player of the Year and the Winona Super Regional Most Valuable Player.
Steen's impact extended throughout the record book. She established program single-season records for hits, runs scored, and stolen bases while finishing her career atop seven offensive categories, including batting average, hits, runs scored, total bases, and triples.
2025-26 SC ESPYS
Blake Perrin - Male Record-Breaking Performer of the Year
Jenna Thornburg, Emma Cooper, Molly Moore, Aubrey McDaniel (4x100 relay) - Female Record-Breaking Performers of the Year
Noah Noland - Male Newcomer of the Year
Abby Bell - Female Newcomer of the Year
Nathan Roling - Coach of the Year
Softball - Team of the Year
CJ Hangartner - Male Athlete of the Year
Ashlyn Steen - Female Athlete of the Year
