KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Montana Tech's athletic department claimed eight honors in the 2026 NAIA-SIDA Publications & Media Contest, the national office announced this month.
Creative intern Kyle Torgerson earned six accolades for his work in social media and video production, while associate athletic director Mark Robertson won a pair of honors in the Dr. Jack Bell Writing Contest.
Torgerson, a 2024 Montana Tech graduate who produces video and online content for the department as well as the Montana Tech Foundation, earned first place in the nationwide Infographics - Events/Accolades/Breaking News category of the Social Media Contest for his infographic commemorating the Oredigger football program's 2025 Frontier Conference East Division championship and seventh place for his football infographics shared by the team account on social media channels.
He added third- and fifth-place awards for his football publicity videos in that category along with a sixth-place honor for the men's basketball hype video he created for in-arena use. Torgerson also won an eighth-place nod in the Infographics – Game Day category, again for his work with the football program.
Robertson, who is in his second year on the Orediggers' support staff, earned fourth place for his story, "'Just what you do', three-sport athlete Peterson recognized as Montana Athlete in Service," outlining football, rodeo, and track & field student-athlete Justus Peterson's journey at Montana Tech and eighth for the article, "Labor of love: Ryan leaves legacy with Oredigger golf program," focused on former golf coach Sean Ryan's contributions to the Montana Tech golf program upon his departure for an opportunity outside of college athletics.
Montana Tech was the only institution in the Frontier Conference to earn recognition in the contest.
The eight awards are the most the Montana Tech athletic department have ever won in the NAIA-SIDA (Sports Information Directors Association) Publications & Media Contest since its inception in 2006. Award winners are chosen by the 15-member NAIA-SIDA Publications Committee, made up of athletics communications professionals from across the membership.
Visit Montana Tech athletics' home online, GoDiggers.com, anytime for up-to-the-minute news and coverage of the Orediggers. Give Montana Tech athletics a like on Facebook, and follow the Orediggers on X and Instagram at @DiggerAthletics.
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