Fink, Ristvedt honored as Ad Rutschman Small College Athletes of the Year

Oregon Tech's Mitch Fink wins for the second year in a row and Southern Oregon University's Taylor Ristvedt wins for the first time.

To keep the peace.

Ty and oregon tech athlete in the same year.

But today, mitch fink and taylor ristvedt changed that.

(topic key) it began with fink's successful defense of his title.

The all-time leader in points and assists at oregon tech became just the second player ever to win the award in consecutive years.

And just like last year, fink says just because his name is on the award doesn't mean it's just his.

(take mitch key) mitch fink says, "it is but it isn't.

But i think it's something that all of my teammates can look back and say that our team won a lot of awards and it can just show that we were a very successful team this year and it's just something that, i know i'm the person with the name on it, but it's something that we all earned and everyone can look back and be proud of."

(topic key) this season, fink helped lead the hustlin' owls to a 26 and seven record.

They made it to the national tournament as a two-seed before it was called off due to coronavirus concerns.

The award tops a long list of achievements in an owl uniform.

In fink's final season he was also named the conference player of the year, an n-a-i-a first team all american, n-a-b-c first team all-american and an n-a-i-a all-star.

(topic key) and another local athlete who is no stranger to hearing her name called during award announcements heard it again today.

S-o-u's taylor ristvedt.

She became just the second raider female athlete to be named the ad rutschman small college athlete of the year.

A two-time conference player of the year and n-a-i-a all-american led the charge for an uber successful s-o-u volleyball team.

In ristvedt's final two seasons, the raiders went 61 and ne... yes, only nine losses in two years.

But ristvedt will tell you, it was way more than just her.

(take taylor key) taylor ristvedt says, "without them and without josh and the assistant coaches and my parents and friends and all the support from my family i wouldn't be able to do any of that without them.

So this award definitely brought all of that together as well as all the personal work that i put in.

The hardwork and the hot summers and the hours in the gym and all that so it is really cool to see all that line up in the way that it did."

Her name is inked among some of the finest players to ever grace the court in ashland.

Ristvedt finished with the second-most kills in program history.

She was apart of