BURNSVILLE, Minn. – For the fourth 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 2019-19 school year. With USF's list of 13 this year, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Commissioner Erin Lind announced that a record number 194 student-athletes from the NSIC's 16 institutions will receive the award in its 11th year, which is 38 more than last year's record of 156.

USF's total of 13 increased the school's total honorees to 185 since the award began 11 years ago. 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.  

The 2019-20 USF honorees include: Montana Belford, biology, cross country, Rawlins, Wyo.; JJ Cooney, business administration, golf, Pickstown, S.D.; Abby Feyereisen, elementary education, volleyball, Minneapolis, Minn.; Jessie Geer, exercise science, basketball, Gillette, Wyo.; Lexi Hanson, criminal justice, golf, Chanhassen, Minn.; Kaely Hummel, business administration, basketball, Cherokee, Iowa; Lindsey Mossman, exercise science, softball, Bellevue, Ill.; Sydney Nieveen, business administration, softball, Hallam, Neb.; Erin O'Tool, exercise science, soccer, Clear Lake, Iowa; Clara Paul, mathematics/secondary education, track and field, Maplewood, Minn.; Jack Schelhaas, business administration, football, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Gabriel Watson, exercise science, football, Piedmont, Calif.; and Julia Zanto, exercise science, swimming, New Hope, 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. 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," said Lind.

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," she 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.