With another year of the Criterion’s sports section coming to its conclusion, it’s time to name our best of the best selections. Each sports editor (Dean Allen and Justin Shaw) were tasked with selecting one men’s team athlete and one women’s team athlete to name to our Best of the Best team, without repeating selections from the Mavie awards. We would also like to extend our sincere congratulations and gratitude to every Maverick athlete. We love what we do, and thank you for spending your time speaking with us. Here is our 2024-25 Best of the Best.
Ty Allred
Ty Allred didn’t just stick around. He showed out and became the heart of CMU men’s basketball in aseason full of surprises.
After averaging just six minutes per game last season, the redshirt junior made one of the biggest leaps on the roster, playing 32.7 minutes per game and becoming a central piece of the Mavericks’ 19-10 campaign. Allred averaged 14.7 points and 6.4 rebounds while shooting an efficient 46.4 percent from the field and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. Allred delivered a season-high 27 points in a crucial RMAC matchup and posted 11 rebounds in another game, showing his ability to contribute beyond scoring. He was one of the team’s most consistent performers, balancing perimeter play with physical defense and leadership.
His experience and composure provided stability for a roster that featured several new players and a new head coach. Allred regularly filled whatever role was needed, starting every 2024-25 season game. Allred’s breakout year reflected both individual development and team-oriented play. For his performance, leadership and impact during the 2024–25 season.
Jennesis Martinez
Jennesis Martinez’s name is already etched in CMU women’s wrestling history, and she’s closing out her career with one more well-deserved honor. The graduate student was named the RMAC Academic Wrestler of the Year for the 2024 season, capping off a decorated fiveyear run that saw her earn four All-America honors and become one of the program’s most consistent leaders. Martinez also led four of the conference-best Mavericks on the Academic AllRMAC First Team and was one of 11 CMU wrestlers to earn Honor Roll recognition.
On the mat, the Albuquerque native finished her season 11-2 while returning from injury, winning her first nine matches and claiming her second straight RMAC title, this time, at 103 pounds after winning the 101-pound crown in 2023. She also secured her third consecutive regional title and went 2-2 at the NCWWC National Championships, ending her career with an 87-23 record.
Off the mat, Martinez has been equally impressive. She earned a 4.0 GPA in CMU’s MBA program after completing her undergraduate degree in business with a 3.59. Her excellence in both arenas made her a standout among RMAC nominees, earning a spot on the 10-member first team s
Cole Beyer
Beyer, a senior golfer from Woodburn, Oregon had one of the best golf seasons in CMU lore. Beyer has won three tournaments, including a fourth t-1st mark falling in a playoff hole. He’s logged seven top five finishes, and has only had two 72-hole matches over par.
Beyer has spent the majority of his season ranked in the top 10 nationally, with an average 72-hole score of -2. His best round of the year came on Oct. 8, notching a 63 in the final round of the Ryan Palmer Foundation invitational in Amarillo, Texas. That 63 was the second-best round in program history. Beyer has won two RMAC golfer of the week awards, which is superb considering four of the nation’s top six golfers are in the RMAC. Beyer is studying environmental geology academically, but does plan on having a professional golf career. Him and the CMU men’s golf team now prepares for NCAA regionals, with play starting in Riverside,
Jessalyn Gallegos
Following a season ending injury before the season last year, redshirt freshman left hander Jessalyn Gallegos has been red-hot for CMU this year. The Anaheim, California native leads the Maverick rotation with 157 strikeouts in 164.1 innings. Towards the start of the season, she also got some time at first base and at the dish, grabbing six RBIs in just six hits. She was one of three left handed bats in the Maverick lineup whenever she did go up to hit.
In her first season eligible for postseason awards, Gallegos earned RMAC freshman of the year and was the first pitcher named on the all-conference second team. Had it not been for the generational year from Black Hills State pitcher Laci Peskey, Gallegos would’ve been in the pitcher of the year conversation.
Academically, Gallegos is a biology major with plans to work in athletic training. This is the first time in the last two years that a freshman has been named to the Criterion’s Best of the Best.