COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs and South Dakota Mines head athletic trainers, Ashley Klug and Kaleb Birney, respectively, have been selected by their peers as the 2025-26 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Wayne Barger Athletic Trainers of the Year, the conference announced Thursday.
The Wayne Barger Athletic Trainer of the Year award was established in 2017-18 and recognizes former Fort Lewis College Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Sports Medicine, Wayne Barger. Recipients of this honor demonstrate commitment to ideals set forth by the RMAC and member institutions. They act ethically to ensure proper health and safety for the student-athletes under their care. Each head athletic trainer from around the league submits one vote for this award and is not permitted to vote for themselves.
The 2025-26 season marked Klug’s 11th year at UCCS and her eighth as Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Medicine. She also serves as Director of Athletic Performance, overseeing a team of athletic trainers and collaborating closely with athletic performance staff and campus nutritionists. Klug works directly with the Mountain Lions’ cross country and track & field programs, which enjoyed a standout 2025-26 campaign. Her leadership and expertise contributed to a historic year for UCCS Athletics, as the Mountain Lions claimed six conference championships: women’s lacrosse, men’s indoor track & field, women’s indoor track & field, women’s outdoor track & field, men’s soccer, and women’s volleyball.
Birney completed his fifth season as Director of Sports Medicine, Performance, and Welfare at South Dakota Mines, where he oversees the physical and mental well-being of student-athletes across all 13 Hardrocker varsity programs. In this role, he has fostered a strong partnership with Rapid City Monument Health, enhancing both the quality of medical care and the overall student-athlete experience. Birney’s commitment to excellence in athletic training has earned widespread recognition throughout his career. In 2020, he was named the Frontier Conference Athletic Trainer of the Year and received the New Horizons Award from the Northwest Athletic Trainers Association.
Klug and Birney will be honored at the 2026 RMAC Hall of Fame Ceremony and Awards Banquet on Thursday, July 9, at the COS City Hub in Colorado Springs. Doors will open at 5 p.m. MT, and the induction and awards ceremonies will follow promptly at 6 p.m.
Tickets for the 2026 RMAC Hall of Fame Ceremony and Awards Banquet are available for purchase at
RMACSports.org/Tickets.
About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 70 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.