BURNSVILLE, MINN. -- Seniors Jacey Huinker and JJ Cooney of the University of Sioux Falls are among the 32 student-athletes named Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes of the Year, according to an announcement Thursday (May 21) by the league office.

The NSIC member institutions, including USF, nominated one male and one female student-athlete for the prestigious Britton and Kelly Awards, which is considered the top student-athlete honor by the league. All 32 student-athletes nominated become NSIC Honor Student-Athletes of the Year with two being selected as Britton and Kelly award recipients. Those honorees, as announced by the NSIC office, included Alex Goettl of Minnesota State, Mankato, who received the 2019 Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete; and Maggie Knier of Minnesota State, Mankato who earned the 2019 Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award.  

The Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence recognizes the NSIC's top male student-athlete while the Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award is presented to the NSIC's top female student-athlete. The Britton Award was created in 1985 in honor of Dr. William Britton, a longtime faculty representative at Bemidji State University. The Kelly Award is named in honor of Willis R. Kelly, an associate professor of physical education at the University of Minnesota-Morris. Honor student-athlete nominees must maintain a grade point average of 3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale); exhibit evidence of academic excellence beyond the minimum grade point average (scholarship prizes and other academic recognition), participate in the life of the institution, and participate in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual's primary sport. The award is voted on by NSIC Faculty Athletic Representatives.

Both Huinker and Cooney have excelled at USF, both in competition and in the classroom.

 

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 earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurial Studies this May and will be enrolled in the Master of Business Administration program this fall as he will complete his final year of athletic competition at USF. The standout golfer , who was named USF's Male Student-Athlete of the Year on April 27, 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. The son of Tom and Deb Cooney, JJ was also named the Vucurevich School of Business Outstanding Entrepreneurial Studies Senior during the Spirit of Excellence presentation. 

 

Huinker, the daughter of Darren and Janel Huinker, averaged 4.6 points and 8.4 rebounds in playing and starting all 32 games in 2019-20 for the USF Women's Basketball Team which earned a No. 3 seed in the NCAA DII Central Region Tournament. Unfortunately, Huinker, who has been part of the two USF teams to earn bids in the regional tournament (2015-16, 2019-20), did not get to play at the regional due to the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down winter championships and spring sport seasons. She was named to the NSIC's All-Defensive Team for a second time in 2019-20 after guiding USF to a 26-6 record and the program's first-ever NSIC South Division title (17-5 mark).

Named the 2017-18 Elite 18 Award Recipient by the league and to the 2019-20 CoSIDA Academic All-District first team finished her career with 789 rebounds or sixth all-time at USF. A 5-9 forward with unlimited energy and drive, she set a USF DII-program record in offensive rebounds with 85. Huinker, who had 12 double-digit scoring games and seven double-doubles.
 
Named one of 32 recipients for the NSIC's Butch Raymond Scholarship in 2018-19, she was a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree. She has completed her undergraduate nursing degree and is enrolled in the Master of Business Administration program.  In 111 games, she has 90 starts with five career double doubles and 26 times dished out for or more assists in a game. In total, she helped lead USF through one of its most successful periods with 91 wins.