BURNSVILLE, Minn. – For the fourth time in her career, Lexi Hanson of the University of Sioux Falls Women's Golf Team, who captured her first-ever individual title at the MIAA Invite on Sept. 24-25, has been named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Athlete of the Week, according to an announcement from the league office on Thursday.

Hanson, who earned her first NSIC weekly honor this year, carded eight birdies (fourth-best in the tournament), an eagle, and had 22 pars (tied for 6^th in the tourney), opened with a 74 but had a remarkable performance on day two of the MIAA Invite. By carding a career-low 67, the Chanhassen, Minn., native finished with the program's best individual round and her 141 total was the best-two round total in USF DII program-history.

In fact, she beat her own previous mark of 149 (74-75) at the Ramada Mustang Invite on Sept. 22-23, 2018 and that of her USF Head Coach Tavia Rutherford who as a former USF standout had a 149 at the Concordia University Invite on Sept. 13-14, 2014. Hanson had owned the previous best round of 71 (UNK Spring Invite on March 26, 2017) but today shot a 5-under par round of 67.

After opening at 309 on Tuesday, the Cougars, led by the play of Hanson, shattered the school-record for a round with a 288 and beat their previous two-round total by 15 shots. The Cougars had set the mark of 612 at the Central Region Preview in Blue Springs, Mo, on Sept. 3-4. But  with Hanson winning medalist honors for just the second time in school history (Tavia Rutherford, 149, Concordia University Invite), the Cougars finished at 597 and tied with Rogers State for second (597-310-287) and 10 shots from team champion Central Missouri at 587 (296-291).

With the 288, USF shot the second-best round of the tourney (Rogers State, 287, day 2). After USF, Central Oklahoma was fourth at 606 (305-301) and Nebraska-Kearney, fifth (609 – 308-301). USF was among 12 teams competing at the tournament but the only NSIC rep.

Along with Hanson's four NSIC weekly honors, USF Women's Golf now has had seven student-athletes earn NSIC Golfer of the Week honors. Kami Love, was honored on March 21, 2017 and Hanson earned the honor on March 14, 2017 as well on Sept. 6, 2018 and today March 14, 2019. They join current assaistant coach Tavia Rutherford, who was selected on Sept. 17, 2014 while a member of the USF Women's Team. This past spring Alex Nutter was honored.

The USF Women's Team will compete at the Augustana Invitational on Sept. 28-29 at Elmwood Golf Course.