CLEVELAND, OHIO -- The University of Sioux Falls Athletics Department was among the leaders in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and NCAA DII for student-athletes to be named recipients of Division 2 Athletics Directors Association (D2 ADA) 2019-20 Academic Achievement Awards, announced this week. The DII ADA Academic Achievement Awards is a program which recognizes the academic accomplishments of student-athletes at the Division II level.

In total, there were 15,214 student-athletes from 200 institutions recognized for the 2019-20 Academic Achievement Awards. These numbers shattered the records for highest number of participating institutions and the largest number of student-athletes being nominated since the award program's inception. For the second-straight year, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) has the largest number of student-athlete honorees with 1,365 total, closely followed by the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) with 1,333 and the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) with 1,220. To be honored student-athletes needed a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher, two years (four semesters) of college level work and been active members of an intercollegiate team during the past year.  
 
"We are extraordinarily proud of our student-athletes, who through challenging times with this CoVID-19 pandemic, continue to excel in academics along with their drive and focus in athletics and service," said USF Director of Athletics Pam Gohl. "Overall, we finished second in terms of total student-athletes honored by the D2 ADA in the 16-member NSIC and 21^st nationally, which shows a significant level of achievement," she said.

The USF honorees included (listed by sport, listed grade is that for 2019-20):  

Baseball (12)– Ryan Bernardy, graduate student; Tyler Blackburn, junior, Gilbert, Ariz.; Jacob Boryca, senior; Blake Faber, sophomore; Matt French, sophomore; Trey Hubers, sophomore, Brandon Valley, S.D.; Connor King, sophomore, Rapid City, S.D.; Payton Livingston, junior, Brandon, S.D.; Ryan Meyer, junior, Brandon, S.D.; Jackson Olson, senior, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Charles Roskowiak, senior, Andover, Minn.; and Luke Rysavy, senior, Sioux Falls, S.D.

Football (16) – Kyle Barnetche, senior, Susanville, Calif.; Brody Grantham, senior, Hayti, S.D.; Tyler Heredia, senior; Jordan Knapke, sophomore, Aurora, Colo.; Christian Medeiros, sophomore, Mesa, Ariz.; Brennan Moran, sophomore, North Sioux City, S.D.; Peter Narrai, sophomore, Franklin, Wisc.; Ricky Quintana, senior, Sioux City, Iowa; Grant Rice, sophomore, Gayville, S.D.; Jack Schelhaas, junior, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Isaac Schubert, senior, Madison, S.D.; Ben Sokup, sophomore, Altoona, Wis.; Max Sturdevant, senior, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Joe Timp, sophomore, Cottage Grove, Minn.; Gabriel Watson, senior, Piedmont, Calif.; Nick Zimmerman, senior, Rosendale, Wis.

Men's Basketball (3) – Devin Green, senior, Cascade, Iowa; Austin Slater, junior, Andover, Minn.; Milan Surlic, senior, Nis, Serbia.

Men's Cross Country (7) – Dan Armstrong, senior, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Billy Beseman, senior, Perham, Minn.; David Ecker, sophomore, Eau Claire, Wisc.; Logan Hansen, junior, Viborg, S.D.; Seth Overholt, junior, Chester, S.D.; Jayden Slaba, sophomore, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Aaron Voight, sophomore, Gregory, S.D.

Men's Golf (4) – JJ Cooney, senior, Pickstown, S.D.; Hank Eggebraaten, sophomore, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Nathan Woodall, sophomore, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Jacob Zosel, junior, Morris, Minn.

Men's Track and Field (5)– Ethan Holm, sophomore, Becker, Minn.; Chandler Nelson, senior, Mitchell, S.D.; Joe Timp, sophomore, Cottage, Grove, Minn.; Cooper Wood, senior, Roseville, Minn.; Tristan Zawadzki, senior, San Diego, Calif.

Softball (9) – Sarah Keen, sophomore, Rapid City, S.D.; Rachel Klassen, sophomore, Elkhorn, Neb.; Frankie Mickelson, senior, Rochester, Minn.; Lindsey Mossman, senior, Belleville, Ill.; Sydney Nieveen, senior, Hallam, Neb.; Peyton Senger, junior, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Kylan Straight, sophomore, Logan Iowa; Lexie Swift, sophomore, Omaha, Neb.; and Cassie Van Beek, junior, Rock Valley, Iowa.

Women's Basketball (8) – Jade Blackburn, junior, Surrey, England; Amanda Dagostino, junior, Andover, Minn.; Jessie Geer, senior, Gillette, Wyo.; Jacey Huinker, graduate student, Altoona, Iowa; Kaely Hummel, senior, Cherokee, Iowa; Andie Mataloni, senior, Urbandale, Iowa; Abby Slater, senior, Andover, Minn.; Augusta Thramer, senior, South Sioux City, Neb.

Women's Cross Country (5) – Montana Belford, senior, Rawlins, Mont.; Hannah Ebert, sophomore, Beresford, S.D.; Sarina Lindell, sophomore, Champlin, Minn.; Annabelle Schulz, junior, Spearfish, S.D.; and Maria Streed, sophomore, Chaska, Minn.

Women's Golf (4) – Lexi Hanson, senior, Chanhassen, Minn.; Sydney Hubbard, junior, Onalaska, Wis.; Lexi Jonas, junior, Hudson, Wis.; and Kyleigh Moran, junior, Vermillion, S.D.

Soccer (11) – Catie Caruso, sophomore, Greendale, Wis.; Lily Frederickson, junior, Lino, Lake, Minn.; Kyla Gushard, sophomore, Lincoln, Neb.; Taylor Kelley, sophomore, Sioux City, Iowa; Lauren LaFavre, senior, Burnsville, Minn.; Lily McKown, senior, Independence, Minn.; Erin O'Tool, senior, Clear Lake, Iowa; McKayla Philippi, senior, Las Vegas, Nev.; Lindsey Power, junior, Lindstrom, Minn.; Becca Schmitz, senior, Rochester, Minn.; Olivia Valdez, junior, Broomfield, Colo.

Swimming (10) – Gigi Bario, junior, Atlanta, Ga.; Nina Groene, junior, Mannheim, Germany; Chantal Kasch, junior, Stade, Germany; Julia Zanto, senior, New Hope, Minn.; Giulia Fazza Marcon, junior, Juiz De Fora, Brazil; Aleah Rohe, junior, Anchorage, Alaska; Alex Sanchez-Clark, junior, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands, Spain; Elizabeth Spaans, sophomore, Brandon, S.D.; Evelyn VanDeMark, junior, Alma, Mich.; and Kyjana Webber, senior, Gulfport, Miss.

Tennis (7) – Emily Applegate, sophomore, Casper, Wyo.; Rachel Klatt, junior, Columbus, Neb.; Lexi Miller, junior, Mankato, Minn.; Megan Quandt, graduate student, Henderson, Nev.; Marie Schmitz, senior, Sioux Falls, S.D.; Joelle Thorfinnson, junior Glennwood, Minn.; and Brianna Whisler, junior, Woodbury, Minn.

Women's Track and Field (25) – Kayla Andersen, junior, Minnetonka, Minn.; Brynley Bower, sophomore, Clovis, Calif.; Taryn Ceglowski, junior, Salida, Colo.; Zoe Cigard, sophomore, South Sioux City, Neb.; Lexi Frank, sophomore, Olivia, Minn.; Carolyn Groeger, sophomore, Lead, S.D.; Jasmine Harris, senior, Davenport, Iowa; KaNya Henderson, sophomore, Utica, Miss.; Allison Laibach, junior, Norco, Calif.; Sarina Lindell, sophomore, Champlin, Minn.; Emily Olson, junior, Champlin, Minn.; Mercy Oyadare, junior, Sioux City, Iowa; Clara Paul, senior, Maplewood, Minn.; Chloe Peterson, junior, Elizabeth, Colo.; Miranda Phipps, senior Anoka, Minn.; Kourtney Rozeboom, sophomore, Hills, Minn.; Bailey Rudebusch, junior, Howard, S.D.; Ahni Ruzsa, sophomore, Arden Hills, Minn.; Taylor Stoltz, sophomore, Norfolk, Neb.; Sarah Troescher, senior, Arcadia, Calif.; Carla Walquist, senior, Little Falls, Minn.; Montana Belford, senior, Rawlins, Wyo.; Hannah Ebert, sophomore, Beresford, S.D.; Annabelle Schulz, junior, Spearfish, S.D.; and Maria Streed, sophomore, Chaska, Minn.

Volleyball (4) – Emily Decker, junior, Elkhart, Ind.; Abby Feyereisen, senior, Minneapolis, Minn.; Krista Goerger, junior, Mankato, Minn.; and KaSandra Springer, senior, Altoona, Wis.