BURNSVILLE, MINN. – Fifty-seven student-athletes from the University of Sioux Falls have earned Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Fall All-Academic honors, as announced today (Wednesday, Nov. 29) by the league office.

In total, 706 student-athletes earned NSIC All-Academic honors for the 2017 fall athletic season. To be eligible for this honor, student-athletes must be a member of the varsity traveling team and have a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 or higher. Furthermore, the athlete must have reached sophomore athletic and academic standing at her/his institution (true freshmen, red-shirt freshmen and ineligible athletic transfers are not eligible) and must have completed at least one full academic year at that institution.

During the five years in the NSIC, USF has had 293 Academic All-NSIC honorees from fall sports programs. Those totals include 145 for football; 42 for men's cross country, 30 for women's cross country, 27 in soccer and 47 in volleyball. USF's 57 fall honorees in 2017 betters the total of 53 a year ago and is seven more than two years ago (50).

USF honorees include -

Men's Cross Country (9):   Shane Herman, junior, Custer, S.D.; Jase Kraft, junior, Wessington Springs, S.D.; Josh Liester, junior, Garretson, S.D.; and John Noyes, junior, Redfield, S.D., are two-time honorees. Making the list for the first time includes: Dan Armstrong, sophomore, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Billy Beseman, sophomore, Perham, Minn.; Blake Johnston, sophomore, O'Neill, Neb.; Grant Johnston, sophomore, O'Neill, Neb.; and Nick Lawson, senior, Plankinton, S.D. In the six years in the NSIC, the Men's Cross Country team has had 42 academic all-league honorees. The team had nine honorees in 2012 following by eight in 2013, six in 2014, seven in 2015, three in 2016 and nine in 2017. 

Women's Cross Country (8): Laura Kunz, a senior from Owasso, Okla., is a three-time honoree. Keegan Day, junior, Billings, Mont.; Rebecca Goertzen, junior, Lake City, Minn.; Mattisen Kelley, junior, Custer, S.D.; Tenley Schwartz, junior, Wells, Minn., are second time honorees. Named for the first time were Montana Belford, sophomore, Rawlins, Wyo.; Bethany Pearson, sophomore, Sioux Falls, S.D.; and Kylie Herlihy, senior, Arroyo Grande, Calif. Overall, the Women's Cross Country team has had 30 honorees, including three in 2012, four in 2013, five in 2014, five in 2015, five in 2016 and eight in 2017.  

Football (25): Three-time honorees include Adria Botella, senior, Barcelona, Spain; Brian Mayberry, senior, Littleton, Colo.; Austin Schaffer, senior, Hilbert, Wis.; Jesse Springer, senior, Denver, Colo.; Nicholas Stanke, senior, Eau Claire, Wis.; Jason Towns, senior, Harvey, Ill.; and Matthew Young, senior, Phoenix, Ariz.; two-time honorees including Riley Waldie, junior, Fort Collins, Colo.; Shayden Drey, junior, Winner, S.D.; Derek Landis, senior, Lakewood, Colo.; and Nick Zimmerman, junior, Rosendale, Wis.  First time honorees include Gunnar Dean, sophomore, Lincoln, Neb.; Dalton Elliott, sophomore, Nicollet, Minn.; A.J. Garrow, junior, Brandon, S.D.; Brody Grantham, sophomore, Hayti, S.D.; Max Mickey, senior, Holden, Mo.; Colton Myles, sophomore, Richfield, Minn.; Trey Pipkins, junior, Apple Valley, Minn.; Ricky Quintana, sophomore, Sioux City, Iowa; Joe Rodino, sophomore, Omaha, Neb.; Isaac Schubert, sophomore, Madison, S.D.; Clint Sigg, sophomore, Longmont, Colo.; Tucker Stout, sophomore, Spokane, Wash.; Max Sturdevant, sophomore, Sioux Falls, S.D.; and Stuart Vanden Heuvel, senior, Watertown, Wis. Overall, the team has had 145 honorees since 2012 with 18 in 2012, 19 in 2013, 23 in 2014, 31 in 2015, 29 in 2016 and 25.

Soccer (7): Chessa Novotny, junior, Colorado Springs, Colo.; Morgan Perkins, junior, Liberty, Mo.; Ellie Rieder, sophomore, Ankeny, Iowa; Emma Trittin, junior, Elk River, Minn.; and Paige Wohlers, junior, Council Bluffs, Iowa, are two-time academic all-league honorees. Lauren LaFavre, sophomore, Burnsville, Minn.; and Erin O'Tool, sophomore, Independence, Minn., were named to the squad for the first time. The Soccer Team has had a total of 27 honorees since joining the league, including seven in 2012, six in 2013, one in 2014, six in 2016 and seven in 2017.

Volleyball (8): Janelle Lam, a senior from Apple Valley, Minn.; is a three-time selection.  Two-time all-academic honors include Bria Barfnecht, junior, Delano, Minn.; Megan Hamstad, junior, Colorado Springs, Colo;  Makenna Rockeman, junior, Broomfield, Colo.; and Lexi Scott, junior, Prinsburg, Minn. First-time honorees include Abby Feyereisen, sophomore, Minneapolis, Minn.; Anna Peterson, sophomore, Tracy, Minn.; and KaSandra Springer, sophomore, Altoona, Wis. The Volleyball team has had  47 student-athletes earn academic all-league honors including six in 2012, six in 2013, eight in 2014, eight in 2015, 11 in 2016 and eight in 2017.