Ty Nelson & Mya Tautges Named Brainerd Warrior Athletes of the Year

Brainerd High School held its 50th annual All-Sports Banquet on Monday at the Gichi-ziibi Center for the Arts to announce the Male and Female Athlete of the Year, as well as honor those inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ty Nelson was announced as the 2025 Brainerd Warrior Male Athlete of the Year. The two-sport athlete in football and track and field is the reigning Class AAA state champ in the triple jump.

“It means a lot, knowing that my hard work has paid off, excelling in more than one sport,” reflected Nelson. “My parents, my coaches, and my teammates have helped me to—they’ve just been so supportive and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Mya Tautges was named the Female Athlete of the Year. She is a three-sport athlete competing in basketball and softball, as well as swimming, where she won the state title in the 50-yard freestyle.

“I mean, it means a lot. There’s a bunch of good female athletes like Madi Miller and Karley Dunham and Ericah Folden. Sports wouldn’t be the same with all my teammates pushing me through, all my coaches and everybody, and we’ve been pretty successful. So that’s always good.

The night’s Athletic Hall of Fame inductees were Alison Kosobud, Jason Howard, Jim Ruttger, Mitch Feierabend, Ann Stenglein, and Michelle Hilborn.