SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The University of Sioux Falls had two student-athletes recognized among the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's top academic honorees as Alivia Tindall and Collin Dingsor were named USF's 2026 Willis R. Kelly and Dr. William Britton Scholar-Athlete Award nominees, respectively.

Announced by the NSIC office, the Britton Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence and the Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award represent the league's highest academic honor for male and female student-athletes. Each NSIC institution nominates one male and one female student-athlete annually, with nominees also recognized as their institution's Honor Student-Athletes of the Year.

For Sioux Falls, Tindall and Dingsor exemplify the elite combination of academic excellence, athletic achievement and service leadership the awards are designed to honor.

Tindall, a graduate student from Nampa, Idaho, earned USF's Kelly Award nomination after building a remarkable resume on the field, in the classroom and in the community. A Sports Media and Marketing graduate now pursuing her MBA, Tindall owns a 3.97 undergraduate GPA and a 3.93 graduate GPA while excelling as a cornerstone of the Cougar women's soccer program.

A four-time NSIC Fall Academic Team of Excellence selection, Tindall has also earned NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction honors, D2 ADA Academic Achievement recognition and CSC Academic All-District honors.

On the pitch, Tindall has been a model of consistency and durability, starting 64 matches of her 70 collegiate career while totaling 5,720 minutes played. A two-time University of Sioux Falls Defensive Player to Watch, she has been a foundational piece of the Cougar back line throughout her career.

Her impact extends far beyond soccer. Tindall has served as a member of SAAC and FCA, worked as a podcast producer for the university, completed internships with Startup Sioux Falls and Flynn Wright, and devoted time to numerous service initiatives, including Feeding South Dakota, Lifescape, Habitat for Humanity and Sioux Falls Neighbor Soccer.

Dingsor, a senior from Watertown, South Dakota, was USF's Britton Award nominee and brings an equally impressive body of work. Majoring in History and Political Science with a concentration in Secondary Education, Dingsor carries a perfect 4.00 GPA while pairing academic distinction with standout performances in track and field.

His academic accolades include NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic honors, two NSIC Elite 18 Awards, USF's CorTrust Scholar-Athlete Award, and the President's Award of Excellence in History and Political Science. A four-year Dean's List student and National Honor Society member, Dingsor has consistently excelled in the classroom.

Athletically, Dingsor put together another strong year as one of the Cougars' top hurdlers. During the 2026 outdoor season, he recorded three top-three finishes in the 110-meter hurdles, highlighted by a season-best 14.73 to place second at the Mount Marty Twilight. He added a third-place finish at the Dewey Donat Classic (14.88) and another bronze finish at the Minnesota State Open (14.94), while also posting a season-best 57.06 in the 400-meter hurdles.

Indoors, Dingsor continued to shine in the hurdles, placing second in the 60-meter hurdles at the Wildcat Invite in a season-best 8.48 and fourth at the USD Alumni Meet in 8.39. He also contributed to a first-place finish in the 4x400 relay at the USD Alumni Meet and qualified for the NSIC Indoor Championships in the 60-meter hurdles.

A two-time team captain, Dingsor has also been deeply engaged in service and leadership, volunteering through church ministries, local schools, tutoring initiatives and community outreach projects throughout Sioux Falls. In every area — academics, athletics and service — he has represented the very best of the Cougar experience.

Together, Tindall and Dingsor continue a strong tradition of Cougar excellence by representing the highest ideals of the student-athlete experience.

University of Minnesota Duluth's Elizabeth VanLoon earned the 2026 Kelly Award, while Minnesota State Moorhead's Jack Strand received the 2026 Britton Award. Both award winners, along with all institutional nominees, will be recognized July 7 at the NSIC Hall of Fame Banquet in Bloomington, Minnesota.