SIOUX FALLS – Seniors Kaely Hummel and JJ Cooney have been named the University of Sioux Falls Women's and Men's Student-Athletes of the Year, USF Director of Athletics Pam Gohl announced Tuesday (April 28) during the USF Spirit of Excellence Awards Banquet which was presented by the University of Sioux Falls through a virtual event.
 
Besides the recognition of Hummel and Cooney, Jared Brito was selected the recipient of the Gibby Award while numerous other student-athletes were honored with awards from their respective academic areas.
 
"Both Kaely (Hummel) and JJ (Cooney) had phenomenal years, which resulted in substantial individual achievement while helping their teams to success on the field," said Gohl. "Both JJ and Kaely have achieved at a high level where in competition or in their work and leadership in the classroom. We are pleased to honor both of them," she said. "Jared (Brito) certainly showed resilience and determination which is representative of our student-athletes body at USF. We are so proud of our student-athletes who not only excel in their area of competition but in the classroom while stepping up in community service," she said.
 

Cooney and Hummel, who were nominated by their head coaches and selected in a vote by USF Athletic Department staff, have earned the highest athletic honor awarded by the USF Athletic Department.  "Both JJ and Kaely have been all-conference three times and distinguished themselves in the competitive arena as standout athletes who are worthy of their teammates' esteem and respect," said Gohl.

A native of Pickstown, S.D., Cooney competed in six events in 2019-20 and totaled 13 rounds of golf. Cooney, who ranked fifth in the NSIC with a 73.54 round average, carded a best round of 69 which came in the second round of play at the Watkins Invitational, as he won the competition in a playoff while recording a program-best two-round total of 140 (71-69).

Cooney had three top-10 finishes in 2019-20 and now has 16 top-10 finishes in his career with five top-five finishes and an individual title. Twice, Cooney led USF to eighth place finishes at the NSIC Championships with a fifth place team finish in 2018-19. Due to the end of the spring sport season due to the COVID-19, USF did not participate in a championship this spring. In his career, he has made 5,454 shots in 73 rounds for a 74.71 career stroke average.

A three-time All-NSIC selection, Cooney finished with four rounds at or under par which was the best on the squad. Cooney is also a three-time Academic All-NSIC selection who received the NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award for a GPA of 3.75 or higher. A business administration major, Cooney was also named the Vucurevich School of Business Outstanding Entrepreneurial Studies Senior during the Spirit of Excellence presentation.   

Hummel of Cherokee, Iowa, was selected an NCAA DII Honorable Mention All-American by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. She was also named to the D2CCA All-Region first team. 

 

Hummel, a 5-8 shooting guard, is a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree, who was named a Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award recipient this winter. Named the NSIC Preseason South Division Player of the Year this season, Hummel earned a CoSIDA Academic All-District first team selection. Along with fellow senior Mariah Szymanski, she is the first USF women's player to earn three straight All-NSIC honors and joins Laura Johnson (2010-14) as the only player to be selected first team all-league in back-to-back seasons.
 
Hummel, who averaged 17.0 points per game for fifth in the NSIC, helped lead USF to a 26-6 record and its first-ever NSIC South Division title. She also led USF to the No. 3 seed in the NCAA DII Central Region in the 2019-20 season. Hummel, who led USF to an 87-35 record in her four years, ranked second in the NSIC in three-point percentage at 40.3, and tied second for made threes per game with 2.5 while ranking fifth in free throw shooting at 86 percent. 
 
One of the all-time greats at USF, she scored 1,733 points, which ranks third all-time at USF. Hummel set USF's all-time mark in made three-pointers with 273, which is not only the most in women's basketball history but the most by a women's or men's player at the school. With 122 career games, she ranks third all-time at USF. Hummel finished her career with 93 double-digit scoring games with 26 contests of 20 points or more. 
 
A business administrator major, she is the first player in school history to have 67 or more three-point field goals in the same season three times and one of two players with 460 points or more in the season three times. With 545 points this past season, she ranked ninth all-time at USF. With 81 made threes this season, Hummel has the third most in school history for a season. Hummel also ranks 12th in assists in a career at USF with 220.

 

Gibby Award –
This Gibby Award is named for Connor Gibson, a former USF Baseball player who passed away from cancer in 2018, and established by his family. The honor is presented to a student-athlete (male or female) who faces and overcomes personal problems, family problems, or financial problems with strength, perseverance and courage.

In recovering from multiple surgeries and working through an extremely difficult rehab for nearly 18 months, USF Football senior Jared Brito showed tremendous grit and perseverance while exhibiting leadership on and off the field. Brito, who had 29 career tackles and four sacks in 21 games, recorded 16 tackles as a senior when he played on in all 12 games for a playoff team for a second time.

"From that first day in the hospital, Jared was determined to return to the field and earn a degree from USF. His courage and mettle showed us why he is a deserving recipient of the Gibby Award," said Gohl.
 
Other Honors – Spirit of Excellence Ceremony
 
Outstanding Social Science Senior - Lexi Hanson, Women's Golf, Chanhassen, Minn.

Social Science - Outstanding Exercise Science Seniors - Gabriel Watson, Football, Piedmont, Calif.; and Lindsey Mossman, Belleview, Ill., Softball

The Mission Award in Exercise Science – Leah Eagleton, Swimming, Senior Auckland, New Zealand. Eagleton was honored for the showing greatest growth in academics, leadership, maturity and spiritual development while at USF.

Distinguished Academic Success – Social Sciences: Annika Aho, Track and Field/Cross Country, Menagha, Minn.; Victoria Barkosky, Track and Field/Cross Country, Amby, Minn.; Montana Belford, Track and Field/Cross Country, Rawlins, Wyo.; Logan Hansen, Track and Field/Cross Country, Hurley, S.D.; Chantal Kasch, Swimming, Stade, Germany; Rachel Klatt, Tennis, Columbus, Neb.; Payton Livingston, Baseball, Brandon, S.D.; Mercy Oyadare, Track and Field/Cross Country, Sioux City, Iowa; Alex Sanchez Clark, Swimming, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain; Elizabeth Spaans, Swimming, Brandon, S.D.; Taylor Stoltz, Track and Field/Cross Country, Norfolk, Neb.; Kylan Straight, Softball, Logan, Iowa; and Gabriel Watson, Football, Piedmont, Calif.

Visual and Performing Arts - The Outstanding Media Studies Students - Tucker Stout, Football, Spokane, Wash.

Distinguished Academic Success – Visual and Performing Arts -- Mercy Oyadare, Women's Track and Field, Sioux City, Iowa 

Vucurevich School of Business - The Outstanding Business Administration Senior -- Cooper Wood, Track and Field/Cross Country, Roseville, Minn.

Vucurevich School of Business - The Outstanding Entrepreneurial Studies Senior -- JJ Cooney, Men's Golf, Pickstown, S.D.

Vucurevich School of Business - The Outstanding Sports Management Senior - Jasmine Harris, Women's Track and Field/Cross Country, Davenport, Iowa

Vucurevich Distinguished Academic Success – School of Business -  Matthew French, Baseball, Camanche, Iowa; Emma Kenkel, Track and Field Cross Country, Storm Lake, Iowa; Benjamin Sokup, Football, Altoona, Wis.; Aaron Voigt, Track and Field/Cross Country, Gregory, S.D.; Nathan Woodall, Men's Golf, Sioux Falls, S.D.

The University of Sioux Falls Honors Program: Clara Paul, Track and Field, Maplewood, Minn.; Abby Slater, Women's Basketball, Andover, Minn.; and Julia Zanto, Swimming, New Hope, Minn.

Students in the Honors Program strives to encourage exceptional students to explore widely, to think creatively and critically, to study earnestly, to live enthusiastically, to serve sincerely – to engage wholeheartedly and with integrity the world of ideas, scholarship, culture, and service.  These students represent some of the wide range of excellence in academic, intellectual, and creative work at the University of Sioux Falls

Purple Feather Awards: Mercy Oyadare, Track and Field/Cross Country, Sioux City, Iowa; Teathloach Pal, Men's Basketball, Fridley, Minn.; and Julia Zanto, Swimming, New Hope, Minn.

The Purple Feather is a prestigious award presented to no more than 10 percent of the senior class and five percent of the junior class. Faculty and staff nominate individuals, and Student Senate then selects the students they believe epitomize character, scholarship, leadership and service.

Candidate for Representative Man: Cooper Wood, Track and Field/Cross Country, Roseville, Minn.

Candidate for Representative Woman: Abby Slater, Women's Basketball, Andover, Minn.  

Nominees for the Representative Man and Woman are students who have best distinguished themselves in scholarship, leadership and service to the campus community. They are students committed to usF and to the purposes for which it was founded and exemplify the ideal USF students. Final selection is determined by the senior class and is the highest honor given to a student by the campus community.  

Summa Cum Laude (3.9-4.0 GPA) : Clara Paul, Track and Field/Cross Country, Maplewood, Minn.; Abby Slater, Women's Basketball, Andover, Minn.

Magna Cum Laude (3.8-3.89 GPA): Montana Belford, Track and Field/Cross Country, Rawlins, Wyo.; Jack Schelhaas, Football, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Julia Zanto, Swimming, New Hope, Minn.

Cum Laude (3.7-3.79 GPA): JJ Cooney, Men's Golf, Pickstown, S.D.; Jessie Geer, Women's Basketball, Gillette, Wyo.; Kaely Hummel, Women's Basketball, Cherokee, Iowa; Lauren LaFavre, Soccer, Burnsville, Minn.; Lindsey Mossman, Softball, Belleview, Ill.; Sydney Nieveen, Softball, Hallam, Neb.; Erin O'Tool, Soccer, Clear Lake, Iowa; Sarah Troescher, Track and Field/Cross Country, Arcadia, Calif.; and Cooper Wood, Track and Field/Cross Country, Roseville, Minn.