Brittani Martin and Lori Mizushima have been recognized for their support of Colorado Mesa University based in Grand Junction.

Martin received the Doug Sortor Maverick Spirit Award. Mizushima received the Honorary Maverick Alumni Award.

The CMU Alumni Association will present the inaugural awards during a CMU baseball game set for April 15. Martin and Mizushima will throw out ceremonial first pitches for the game.

The Doug Sortor award was named in memory of a man who long served as a role model for students and alumni. Sortor attended and played football for what was at that time Mesa College. He later served as president of the CMU Alumni Association and received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 2021.

The Doug Sortor Maverick Spirit Award honors alumni who support and promote CMU and Western Colorado Community College. The selection criteria for the honorary alumni award is the same, but recognizes a recipient who isn’t a CMU or WCCC alumni.

Martin, card and client services lead at Timberline Bank in Grand Junction, attends CMU sports events and frequently dresses in Mavericks gear to support the team and university.

Mizushima, director of marketing for Big O Tires, speaks with and mentors marketing students at CMU and has hired alumni as marketing assistants. She joins with her brother, Ryan Mizushima, in hosting an annual crab fest fund-raiser to support CMU wrestling teams.