Christensen, Cramer Headline All-KJCCC Selections for Colby
The Colby Trojans softball team was heavily represented on the 2026 All-KJCCC Division I Softball Teams, highlighted by two First Team selections, one Second Team honoree, and two Honorable Mention recipients released Friday.
COLBY, Kan. - The Colby Trojans softball team was heavily represented on the 2026 All-KJCCC Division I Softball Teams, highlighted by two First Team selections, one Second Team honoree, and two Honorable Mention recipients released Friday (May 8).
Leading the way for the Trojans was sophomore standout Briley Christensen, who earned First Team All-KJCCC honors as an infielder after putting together one of the most dominant offensive seasons in the conference.
Christensen, who was named NJCAA National Player of the Week during the first half of the season, became one of the most feared hitters in the KJCCC. She finished the regular season batting .455 with an incredible .877 slugging percentage and a .561 on-base percentage. Her 18 home runs ranked among the conference leaders while her 64 RBIs finished near the top of the KJCCC as well. Opposing teams often avoided pitching to her altogether, as shown by her 38 walks on the season.
The sophomore also delivered consistently throughout the year, recording 20 multi-hit games while producing several signature performances. One of her biggest games came against Pratt, where she blasted two home runs and drove in five runs in a standout performance. Defensively, Christensen anchored the infield at both third base and second base, posting a .910 fielding percentage while totaling 66 assists.
Joining Christensen on the First Team was redshirt freshman pitcher Cheyenne Cramer, who emerged as one of the top arms in the conference throughout the spring.
The Healy, Kansas native finished the regular season with a 13-9 record across 19 appearances and 16 starts while posting a 4.09 ERA in 133.1 innings pitched. She also struck out 116 batters while consistently stepping up in some of the Trojans' biggest games of the season.
Cramer's breakout campaign featured multiple complete-game performances against top conference opponents. Her first collegiate complete game came in a 5-4 victory over Northeastern, where she helped guide the Trojans to a key non-conference win. Later in conference play, she delivered one of the team's biggest victories of the year against conference champion Hutchinson, throwing a complete game to lead Colby past the top seeded Blue Dragons. She followed that performance with another complete-game outing against Butler, allowing just two runs against one of the conference's top teams. Perhaps her most dominant performance came against Seward County, when she fired a one-hit shutout complete game to showcase her consistency and ability to perform under pressure.
Sophomore outfielder Brooke Zinken earned Second Team All-KJCCC honors after becoming one of the most dynamic two-way players in the conference.
Zinken hit .400 on the season with 13 home runs and 35 RBIs while also becoming one of the top base stealers in the KJCCC. She swiped 29 bases while being caught just once all season long. Zinken started the year on an incredible tear, blasting eight home runs during the first three weeks of the season, including a stretch where she homered in three consecutive games.
One of her top performances came against Garden City, when she went off for four hits including two doubles and a home run while driving in three runs in a major conference victory. Defensively, Zinken patrolled center field all season and committed just five errors while serving as one of the team's most reliable defensive players.
The Trojans also landed two players on the All-KJCCC Honorable Mention list, signifying they each received votes for either First or Second Team recognition.
Infielder Kylan Sorenson earned honorable mention honors after putting together a strong all-around season primarily at first base. Sorenson hit just under .300 on the year while totaling nine doubles and five home runs. Her offensive production picked up late in the season as she recorded back-to-back games with a home run and put together a seven-game hitting streak. She also posted 10 multi-hit games while providing strong defensive play on the corner infield throughout the season.
Sophomore two-way standout Katelyn Zukewich rounded out the Trojan honorees after impacting games both in the circle and at the plate.
In the circle, Zukewich established herself as one of the top strikeout pitchers in the conference, reaching the 150-career strikeout milestone this season while spending much of the year among the KJCCC strikeout leaders. She opened the season with a statement performance against Hill College, tossing seven innings with 15 strikeouts while allowing only two earned runs. Although Colby came up short in that game, the outing immediately established Zukewich as one of the conference's premier power pitchers.
Another standout moment came on the road against Barton, where she threw a complete game with 10 strikeouts to lead the Trojans to a major conference victory. At the plate, Zukewich also contributed offensively, batting .364 with three home runs, 12 RBIs, and three stolen bases.
The five All-KJCCC selections highlight the growth and success of a Colby program under second year head coach Jazmine Esparza, that produced one of the top offenses in the conference this season.