BURNSVILLE, Minn. — The University of Sioux Falls placed 12 student-athletes on the 17th annual NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Team, as announced Friday by the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference.

The award, named in honor of late NCAA President Dr. Myles Brand, recognizes academic senior student-athletes who have achieved a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75. A total of 324 student-athletes from the NSIC's 16 institutions earned the prestigious distinction this year.

USF's honorees represented six sports — Track & Field/Cross Country, Volleyball, Tennis, Soccer, and Softball — highlighting the department's continued excellence in both competition and the classroom.

NSIC Commissioner Erin Lind praised the academic success of the conference's student-athletes, emphasizing the lasting impact of Dr. Brand's legacy.

"It is incredibly rewarding to see NSIC student-athletes continue to thrive academically, serve their communities, and compete at a high level," Lind said. "Those qualities reflect the principles championed by Dr. Myles Brand, and they remain at the heart of what we value in this conference. I am proud of the commitment these student-athletes show to their institutions, the NSIC, and their own academic and athletic pursuits, and I am confident their success will extend far beyond their time in competition."

Dr. Brand served as NCAA President from 2003–09 and spearheaded one of the most comprehensive academic reform movements in collegiate athletics history, shifting the national focus toward academic accountability, student-athlete development, and the integration of athletics within the academic mission of higher education.

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USF NSIC Myles Brand Award Recipients

• Kendall Anderson – Track & Field – Bondurant, Iowa – Exercise Science & Psychology
• Collin Dingsor – Track & Field – Watertown, S.D. – History & Secondary Education
• Aubrey Gates – Volleyball – La Porte City, Iowa – Exercise Science & Psychology
• Elise Gillen – Volleyball – Slinger, Wis. – Nursing
• Parker Hahn – Track & Field / Cross Country – Cottage Grove, Minn. – Business Administration & Accounting
• Ella Hancock – Tennis – Rapid City, S.D. – Psychology, Media Studies & Social Sciences
• Addison Heule – Softball – Columbus, Neb. – Sports Psychology
• Kyra Knudtson – Softball – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Accounting
• Lillian McCone – Track & Field – Sanborn, Minn. – Elementary & Special Education
• Sydney Osburn – Tennis – Henderson, Nev. – Psychology, Media Studies & Social Sciences
• Mariah Siem – Soccer – Sioux Falls, S.D. – Business Administration
• Delanie Van Driel – Track & Field – Lesterville, S.D. – Biology