BURNSVILLE, Minn. – For the third straight year, the University of Sioux Falls has had 11 or more senior student-athletes earn recognition as recipients of the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award for the 2018-19 school year. Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Commissioner Erin Lind announced the award winners in a release on Friday, Jan. 18.
USF's total of 11 increased the school's total honorees to 172. To earn the recognition, award recipients must senior student-athletes who maintain a grade point average of 3.75 or higher, in the process of exhausting their eligibility, and on track to graduate. A record number 156 student-athletes from the NSIC's 16 institutions will receive the award in its 10th year, which is nine more than last year's record of 147.
The 2018-19 USF honorees include:
Rebecca Goertzen, biology, track and field/cross country, Lake City, Minn.;
Megan Hamstad, elementary education, volleyball, Colorado Springs, Colo.;
Kerrigan Hoshaw, criminal justice and psychology, softball, Apple Valley, Minn.;
Mattisen Kelley, business administration, track and field/cross country, Custer, S.D.;
Josh Liester, criminal justice and psychology, track and field/cross country, Garretson, S.D.;
Mitchell Lyall, biology and chemistry, baseball, Brandon, Manitoba;
Chessa Novotny, nursing, soccer, Colorado Springs, Colo.;
Anna Peterson, nursing, volleyball, Tracy, Minn.;
Makenna Rockeman, biology, nursing, Broomfield, Colo.;
Kelsie Sanders, psychology, tennis, Gillette, Wyo.; and
Emma Trittin, media studies and psychology, soccer, Elk River, Minn.
"I am filled with pride on how our student-athletes in the NSIC continue to excel in the classroom, in the community and on the playing field," said Lind. "We continue to increase the number of student-athletes that have earned the Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award, which is a testament to the dedication of the student-athletes, coaches and administrators in our league. These are characteristics in which Dr. Myles Brand emphasized. I am extremely proud of all these student-athletes for their devotion to their universities, the NSIC and to their personal academic and athletic goals. I have no doubt these student-athletes will continue to achieve success in life well beyond the classroom and the competition venues," she said.
USF Director of Athletics
Pam Gohl also recognized the exemplary efforts that USF student-athletes make on and off the field as well as in meeting USF's Culture of Service.
"It is gratifying to see our student-athletes continually achieve at an extremely high level in the classroom, competition, or performing service work in the community," said Gohl. "We are extraordinarily proud of them," he said.
Dr. Myles N. Brand, visionary leader, educator and reformer, served as the President of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) from 2003-2009. He passed away in September 2009 at the age of 67 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Brand presided over passage of the most comprehensive academic reform package for intercollegiate athletics in recent history – a package that refocused the attention of student-athletes, coaches and administrators on the education of student-athletes. Brand also changed the national dialog on college sports to emphasize the educational value of athletics participation and the integration of intercollegiate athletics with the academic mission of higher education. His impact on Division II ran deep by implementing an identity campaign and a strategic-positioning platform tied to specific divisional attributes. He challenged Division II to continue its game environment and community engagement focus, and improve academic success rates.
The NSIC is a 16-team, 18-sport, NCAA Division II conference with teams located in Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, North Dakota and South Dakota.
