BURNSVILLE, Minn. -- Program-best 81 student-athletes at The University of Sioux Falls Athletic Department have been named to the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference All-Academic Team for the 2019 spring season, according to an announcement today from the league office. The 81 student-athletes honored represents the most during spring period in USF's DII era.

With 81 named this spring, along with 58 in the fall and 68 more in the winter season, Sioux Falls has placed a total of 217 USF student-athletes on the NSIC All-Academic list during the 2018-19 year or 37 more than 2017-18. USF's total of 81 was part of 749 student-athletes, or 10.8 percent, recognized among the 16 league schools for the 2019 spring athletic season. Of the 391 league-wide named to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence (3.6 GPA or better), USF had 45 representatives or 11.28 percent of the league total.

"We are extraordinarily pleased and proud of our student-athletes who were honored this spring and all year long," said USF Director of Athletics Pam Gohl. "USF student-athletes excel at a high level in competition and the classroom while also fulfilling a mission in community service. We are exceptionally pleased with their dedication to their respective sports and their commitment to studies," she said.

USF's total of 81 student-athletes is the highest number athletes of Cougars honored by the conference since they joined the NSIC in 2012-13. The Cougars placed student-athletes on the list from all seven spring sports. The Women's Outdoor Track and Field Team had 20, and Men's Outdoor Track and Field added 18, with Baseball, 15; Softball, 10; Tennis, nine; Women's Golf, five; and Men's Golf, four. Of that group, 17 USF student-athletes earned Academic All-NSIC honors for a third time with 21 earning honors for a second time during the spring sports season.

To be eligible for this honor, the student-athlete 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.

Baseball (15): John Berroth, Sr., Goodyear, Ariz.; Jacob Boryca, Jr., Omaha, Neb; Keenahn Coyle, Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D.; Matt Graham, So., Hartford, S.D.; Duncan Jakubowski, Sr., Oakville, Ontario; Payton Livingston, So., Brandon, S.D.; Mitchell Lyall, Sr., Brandon, Manitoba; Ryan Meyer, So., Brandon, S.D.; Roy Nielsen IV, So., Orange City, Iowa; Jackson Olson, Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D.; Anthony Reese, So., Las Vegas, Nev.; Alex Robinson, So., Brentwood, Calif.; Brandon Roesler, So., Leonard, Minn.; Charles Roskowiak, Jr., Andover, Minn.; Luke Rysavy, So., Sioux Falls, S.D.;  Berroth, Jakubowski, Lyall are all three-time honorees. Boryca, Rysavy, and Roskowiak earned academic honors for a second time. Lyall, Livingston, Boryca, Rysavy, Roskowiak and Nielsen earned selection to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence.

Men's Golf (4): Brendan Bassing, Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D. and Jonathan Cooney, Jr., Pickstown, S.D.; Jacob Oetzmann, So., Urbandale, Iowa; and Jacob Zosel, So., Morris, Minn. Bassing and Cooney earned their second straight All-Academic honor. Cooney earned selection to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence.

Men's Track and Field (18): Dan Armstrong, Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D.; Billy Beseman, Jr., Perham, Minn.; Connor DeJong, Sr., Watertown, S.D.; Logan Hansen, So., Hurley, S.D.; Trey Furgeson, Sr., Tea, S.D.; Blake Johnston, So.; O,Neill, Neb.; Joseph Kirkebak, Sr., Beresford, S.D.; Salvador Jaimes, Sr., Sioux Falls, S.D.;  Jase Kraft, Sr., Wessington Springs, S.D.; Nick Lawson, Sr., Plankinton, S.D.; Josh Liester, Sr., Garretson, S.D.; Zach Lundberg, Jr., Omaha, Neb.; Chandler Nelson, Jr., Mitchell, S.D.; John Noyes, Jr., Redfield, S.D.; Seth Overholt, So., Madison, S.D.; Jonathan Rowe, Jr., Shakopee, Minn.; Xavier Scarlett, Sr., Sioux City, Iowa; and Cooper Wood, So., Maplewood, Minn. DeJong, Kirkebak, Kraft, Lawson, Liester, Noyes and Scarlett, earned their third Academic All-NSIC honor. Armstrong, Beseman, Johnston were honored for a second time. Armstrong, Beseman, DeJong, Nelson, Hansen, Furgeson, Liester, Overholt, Scarlett and Wood earned selection to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence.

Softball (10): Emily Cheloha, Jr., Omaha, Neb.; Kerrigan Hoshaw, Sr., Apple Valley, Minn.; Emily Hove, Jr., Omaha, Neb.; Courtney Mathews, So., Lee's Summit, Mo.; Emily Miller, Sr., Aberdeen, S.D.; Francesca Mickelson, Jr., Rochester, Minn.; Lindsey Mossman, Jr., Belleville, Ill; Sydney Nieveen, Jr., Lincoln, Neb.; Emmerson Uitts, and Cassie Van Beek, So., Rock Valley, Iowa.  Hoshaw earned her third honor while Hove, Matthews, Mickelson, Mossman and Nieveen were recognized for a second straight year. Hoshaw, Van Beek, Mossman, Nieveen and Mickelsen earned selection to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence.

Women's Golf (5): Lexi Hanson, Jr., Chanhassen, Minn.; Sydney Hubbard, So., Onalaska, Wis.; Lexi Jonas, So., Hudson, Wis.; Kyleigh Moran, So., Vermillion, S.D.; and Taylor Sudenga, Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D. Sudenga and Hanson earned their second straight academic all-league honor. Hanson, Moran, and Jonas earned selection to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence.
 
Women's Track and Field (20): Kayla Andersen, So., Shorewood, Minn.; Montana Belford, So., Rawlins, Wyo.; Taryn Ceglowski, So., Salida, Colo; Keegan Day, Sr., Billings, Mont.; Rebecca Goertzen, Sr., Lake City, Minn.; Mattisen Kelley, Jr., Custer, S.D.; Allison Laibach, So., Riverside, Calif.; Kiara Mattern, So., Colorado Springs, Colo.; Emily Olson, So., Maple Grove, Minn. Mercy Oyadare, So., Sioux City, Iowa; Clara Paul, Jr., Roseville, Minn.; Chloe Peterson, So., Elizabeth, Colo.; Miranda Phipps, Jr., Anoka, Minn.; Bailey Rudebusch, So., Howard, S.D.; Brenna Schmidt, Sr., Fremont, Neb.; Annabelle Schulz, So., Spearfish, S.D.; Mahli Strasser, Jr., Lennox S.D.; Sadie Thompson, So., Dawson, Minn.; Sarah Troescher, Jr., Arcadia, Calif.; Sadie Thompson, So., Dawson, Minn.; and Carla Walquist, So., Little Falls, Minn.  Goertzen, Cook, Day and Schmidt earned their third Academic All-NSIC honor. Belford, Day, Paul, Phipps, Strasser and Troescher were named for a second time Academic All-NSIC. Goertzen, Oyadare, Paul, Kelley, Rudebusch, Schmidt, Belford, Troescher, Ceglowski, Peterson, Schulz, Anderson, Strasser, and Phipps earned selection to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence.

Women's Tennis (9): Chloe Jefferies, So., Clive, Iowa Rachel Klatt, So., Columbus, Neb.; Lexi Miller, So., Mankato, Minn.; Megan Quandt, So., Henderson, Nev.; Kelsie Sanders, Sr., Gillette Wyo.; and Marie Schmitz, Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D.; Joelle Thorfinnson, So., Glenwood, Minn.; Tiffany Voss, Jr., Derby, Kan.; Brianna Whisler, So., Woodbury, Minn.  Sanders and Schmitz were named to the team for a second straight year. Klatt, Whisler, Sanders, Schmitz, and Quandt earned selection to the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence.