MADISON, S.D. – Dakota State (S.D.) led the North Star Athletic Association in winter/spring sports student-athletes, the final ever NSAA conference academic list was announced Tuesday.  The Trojans closed the NSAA era with 129 student-athletes being listed on the conference academic list. 

A total of 129 winter and spring sports student athletes combined were listed on the conference's academic award list.  It was the fifth straight season that DSU collected the most recipients on the North Star's academic list.

A total of 583 recipients, competing in winter and spring sports (women's and men's basketball, men's and women's golf, women's and men's track & field, softball, and baseball), were recognized for their outstanding academic accomplishment in the classroom and on the playing court/field/course.

To be eligible for the NSAA Academic Scholar-Athlete, a student-athlete must achieve a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.25 on a 4.0 scale and participate in a junior varsity or varsity contest.  In addition to the criteria, each athlete must be certified on an eligibility certificate, excluding freshman redshirts.

The Trojans men's track & field team eclipsed a new single season program record of 40 athletes to the NSAA Scholar-Athlete list.  The women's track & field squad also hit a new single season record of 21 conference scholar-athletes.  The DSU softball team tied the program record with 12 scholar-athletes.

Dakota State's baseball team recorded 26 athletes to the NSAA conference academic list, while the women's basketball team tallied 17 student-athletes.  The men's basketball squad collected 12 athletes to the conference academic list.

Below is the complete list of 2024-25 North Star Athletic Association Winter/Spring Scholar Athletes: 
 

Women's Basketball
Name	Hometown	Year in School	Major
Kristine Biniek	Bowlus, Minn.	Senior	Exercise Science
Ella Carstensen	Hudson, Wis.	Freshman	Biology/Exercise Science
Angelina Chapple	Bloomington, Minn.	Sophomore	Finance
Caitlin Dyer	Morphettville, South Australia	Junior	Physical Education
Hamtyn Heinz	Huron, S.D.	Freshman	Undecided
Alyssa Koffler	Buffalo Gap, S.D.	Sophomore	Accounting
Lilli Mackley	Stillwater, Minn.	Senior	Biology
Kirstie Munsen	White Lake, S.D.	Sophomore	Exercise Science
Eliza Oltmanns	Alexandria, S.D.	Freshman	Computer Graphics
Olivia Ritter	Tea, S.D.	Senior	Biology
Lillie Ross	Hill City, S.D.	Freshman	Elementary Education
Kyia Schmidt	Plankinton, S.D.	Freshman	Elementary Education
Angela Slattery	Franksville, Wis.	Graduate Student	Computer Science
Tabor Teel	Colton, S.D.	Junior	Business
Molli Thornton	Hartford, S.D.	Sophomore	Biology
Bria Wasmund	Sibley, Iowa	Sophomore	Exercise Science
Cierra Watkins	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Sophomore	Elementary Education

 

Men's Basketball
Name	Hometown	Year in School	Major
Tyler Beckwith	Lakeville, Minn.	Freshman	Business Management
Noah Haynes	Crooks, S.D.	Sophomore	Exercise Science
Trevor Heinz	Ipswich, S.D.	Freshman	Business Management
Aidan Jahns	Rochester, Minn.	Sophomore	Exercise Science
Aiden Jensen	Madison, S.D.	Sophomore	Business Management
Taine Mitchell	Adelaide, Australia	Senior	Physical Education
Lukas Morgan	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Freshman	Cyber Operations
Zach Ourada	Canby, Minn.	Freshman	Cyber Operations
Brayden Pankonen	Dell Rapids, S.D.	Sophomore	Business Management
Dylon Rawdon	Watertown, S.D.	Sophomore	Exercise Science
Nolan Segner	Apple Valley, Minn.	Freshman	Business Management
Ethan Slaathaug	Hayfield, Minn.	Senior	Business Technology
Isaac Sumption	Frederick, S.D.	Senior	Business Finance

 
 

Women's Track & Field
Name	Hometown	Year in School	Major
Bridget Bartling	Burke, S.D.	Sophomore	Exercise Science
Brooke Beaucaire	Beaumont, Calif.	Senior	Cyber Leadership & Intelligence
Ella Carstensen	Hudson, Wis.	Freshman	Exercise Science
Valerija Curikova	Riga, Latvia	Sophomore	Cyber Operations
Caitlin Dyer	Morphettville, Australia	Junior	Physical Education
Rebecca Hazlett	Columbus, Neb.	Senior	Physical Education
Alyssa Koffler	Buffalo Gap, S.D.	Sophomore	Professional Accountancy
Averie Marshall	Timber Lake, S.D.	Sophomore	Computer Science
Bella Maxwell	Madison, S.D.	Senior	Cyber Operations
McKenna McIlravy	Philip, S.D.	Sophomore	Production Animation
Kierra Miller	Hemingford, Neb.	Junior	Biology
Casey Olson	Fergus Falls, Minn.	Senior	Professional Accountancy
Saddie Palmquist	Howard, S.D.	Graduate Student	Cyber Defense
Gabriella Peitzmeier	Omaha, Neb.	Senior	Elementary Education
Lindsey Roth	Parkston, S.D.	Senior	Elementary Education
Anna Schneider	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Sophomore	Professional Accountancy
Amelie Steins	Dusseldorf, Germany	Sophomore	Biology
Molli Thornton	Hartford, S.D.	Sophomore	Biology
Oliviyah Thornton	Garretson, S.D.	Senior	Cyber Leadership & Intelligence
RayLee Wallis	Roseville, Minn.	Senior	Cyber Operations
Presli White	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Junior	Exercise Science

 

Men's Track & Field
Name	Hometown	Year in School	Major
Kaiden Akey	Mankato, Minn.	Sophomore	Cyber Operations
Evan Armstrong	Centennial, Colo.	Junior	Cyber Operations
Robert Begalka	Clear Lake, S.D.	Freshman	Physical Education
Mikal Bennett	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Senior	Cyber Operations
Luke Borowicz	Jordan, Minn.	Junior	Cyber Operations
Kacey Cauley	Arlington, Texas	Junior	Exercise Science
Caden Gortmaker	St. Lawrence, S.D.	Junior	Cyber Operations
Tysen Grinde	Spring Grove, Minn.	Junior	Computer Science
Lucas Harr	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Senior	Cyber Operations
Zachary Haugen	Bath, S.D.	Senior	Physical Education
Mattix Hausman	Estelline, S.D.	Sophomore	Exercise Science
Noah Haynes	Crooks, S.D.	Sophomore	Exercise Science
Jack Hemmen	White, S.D.	Junior	General Studies
Lane Henrichs	Doon, Iowa	Junior	Cyber Operations
Bergen Irey	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Sophomore	Cyber Operations
Holden Jelen	Tea, S.D.	Sophomore	Cyber Operations
Dylan Johansen	Bridgewater, S.D.	Junior	Physical Education
Franklin Johns	Gordon, Neb.	Sophomore	Physical Education
Curtis Johnson	Indianola, Iowa	Senior	Cyber Operations
Yohannes Kassa	Addis Ababa, Ethiopia	Senior	Computer Science
Brock Krueger	Wessington Springs, S.D.	Freshman	Mathematics
Houston Lunde	Pierre, S.D.	Senior	Elementary Education
Grayson Madsen	Rosholt, S.D.	Junior	Exercise Science
Dawson Miller	Mitchell, S.D.	Sophomore	Cyber Operations
Trenton Moran	Kennebec, S.D.	Junior	Exercise Science
Mohamed Muse	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Freshman	Cyber Operations
Tyler Nicke	Hartington, Neb.	Junior	Cyber Operations
Samuel Olson	Madison, S.D.	Graduate Student	Business Administration
Bryant Paulsen	Marshall, Minn.	Senior	Exercise Science
Logan Recoy	Arnold, Neb.	Sophomore	Computer Science
Caleb Sayler	Lennox, S.D.	Senior	Exercise Science
Blake Schmiedt	North Sioux City, S.D.	Junior	Computer Science
Xander Sheehan	Hayti, S.D.	Senior	Physical Education
Nolan Slominski	Blair, Neb.	Junior	Cyber Operations
Benjamin Strunk	Hartford, S.D.	Sophomore	Cyber Operations
Jonah Thiele	Olathe, Kan.	Junior	Computer Science
Brock Tuttle	Alexandria, S.D.	Freshman	Biology
Jordan Upton	Columbus, Ohio	Sophomore	Computer
Aaron Van Hemert	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Junior	Business Administration
Ben Witt	Burke, S.D.	Senior	Exercise Science

 

Softball
Name	Hometown	Year in School	Major
Maycee Bricker	Broomfield, Colo.	Junior	Biology
Analicia Burgos	Severance, Colo.	Sophomore	Exercise Science
Michelle Evdos	Parker, Colo.	Senior	Computer Information Systems
Hannah Feser	Cut Knife, Sask., Canada	Senior	Biology
Brenley Goebel	Oldham, S.D.	Freshman	Business Management
Delaney Granger	Manitowoc, Wis.	Sophomore	Exercise Science
Katie Hansen	Garretson, S.D.	Junior	Elementary Education
Alexia Hayden	Sabetha, Kan.	Freshman	Elementary Education
Jordyn Jeffries	Overton, Neb.	Sophomore	Elementary Education
Makenna McGee	Fremont, Neb.	Freshman	Exercise Science
Ally Morrissey	Sacramento, Calif.	Sophomore	Professional Accountancy
Torrence Clelland	Rimbey, Alberta, Canada	Senior	Exercise Science

 

Baseball
Name	Hometown	Year in School	Major
Aiden Barfuss	Winner, S.D.	Freshman	Mathematics
Braylon Bear	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Freshman	Computer Science
Cory Brownson	Billings, Mont.	Senior	Exercise Science
Owen Cass	Sturgis, S.D.	Sophomore	Computer Science
Hunter Den Boer	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Freshman	Accounting
Cole Drumheller	Papillion, Neb.	Junior	Computer Science
Curtis Flint	Omaha, Neb.	Junior	Business Finance
Dylan Gillespie	Whitewood, S.D.	Senior	Physical Education
Camaron Haller	Kingman, Ariz.	Junior	Math for Information Systems
Trey Heckenlaible	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Junior	Computer Science
George Hogan	Evergreen, Colo.	Junior	Artificial Intelligence
Kellan Johns	Everett, Wash.	Sophomore	Physical Education
Samuel Kampshoff	Yankton, S.D.	Junior	Computer Science
Treyten Kolar	Ida Grove, Iowa	Sophomore	Computer Science
Daniel Lesher	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Junior	Computer Graphics
Ben Loos	Harrisburg, S.D.	Senior	General Studies
Aidan Marsh	Orting, Wash.	Senior	Graphic Design
Declyn Otte	Calhoun, Neb.	Freshman	Computer Science
Aidan Perry	Dripping Springs, Texas	Junior	Accounting
Dawson Portner	Tea, S.D.	Senior	Business Management
Connor Raney	Pflugerville, Texas	Junior	Business Management
David Rodriguez	El Paso, Texas	Junior	Exercise Science
Ayden Spicer	Sioux Falls, S.D.	Junior	Exercise Science
Alex Swack	Coralville, Iowa	Senior	Business Technology
Sam Tyrpa	Excelsior, Minn.	Senior	Cyber Operations
Keaton Young	Laveen, Ariz.	Sophomore	Cyber Operations