Bemidji State Forward Named D2CCA Central Region Player of Year

Katrina Barthelt capped a decorated career at Bemidji State when the Division II Conference Commissioners Association named her the Women’s Soccer Central Region Player of the Year on November 26. Barthelt is the first Bemidji State women’s soccer player to receive the regional player of the year award since the program began 30 years ago. Her selection followed a season in which she repeated as Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Offensive Player of the Year and led the conference with a career high 32 points, tying for the league lead with 13 goals.

Barthelt scored in 10 matches during the regular season and Bemidji State was 8-0-2 when she found the net. She earned conference weekly honors twice, was the NSIC Elite 18 Award winner and the Outstanding Senior Award winner. The Bartlett Illinois native finished her career sixth in program history with 87 points and fourth in career goals with 38, and this marks her third All Central Region selection by the D2CCA.

Senior teammate Emma Huelsnitz made her first appearance on the D2CCA All Region list after returning for a redshirt senior season and starting every match for the Beavers for a second consecutive year. The Ramsey native logged a team best 1,775 minutes and anchored a defense that allowed just 10 goals in conference play, good for second best in the NSIC. The Beavers closed the season 14-3-4 and made their sixth appearance in the NCAA Division II Women’s Soccer Tournament.

For Beltrami County the awards underscore the role Bemidji State athletics play in local identity, youth sports engagement and regional visibility. Athletic success can translate into increased attendance at home matches, stronger recruiting pipelines and heightened alumni involvement. At the same time the recognition invites public discussion about how the university balances support for high performing teams with academic priorities and equitable resource allocation. Local officials and university leaders may face renewed calls to ensure transparency in athletics funding and to leverage on field success for broader community benefit.