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NATIONAL ATHLETES OF THE YEAR Ciara Duffy, women’s basketball One of the best players to don a Coyote uniform on the hardwood, Ciara Duffy racked up the postseason awards for her senior campaign. Duffy was named the espnW Mid-Major Player of the Year, the Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year presented by Her Hoops Stats and the Summit League Player of the Year. Duffy was the leading scorer of a Coyote squad that cemented themselves among the nationally-ranked top-25. She averaged 16.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and five assists per game. No. 17/11 South Dakota finished the season 30-2, went undefeated in the Summit League regular season with an average 32-point margin of victory and won the Summit League Tournament. Duffy graduates as the only player in program history with 1,700 points, 600 rebounds and 400 assists in her career. Chris Nilsen, indoor track and field While his opportunity to win another NCAA Championship was taken away by the COVID-19 pandemic, pole vaulter Chris Nilsen made history with the portion of the season he did have in 2020. Nilsen was named the 2020 USTFCCCA National Field Athlete of the Year. He broke the NCAA indoor pole vault record in February with a vault of 19 feet, 5 ½ inches (5.93m). The height ranks No. 4 all-time in American indoor history with professionals included. This marks South Dakota track and field’s first National Athlete of the Year in the Division I era. Nilsen also garnered the Summit League Indoor Field Athlete of the Year for the third time of his career and was the USTFCCCA Midwest Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. He is a two-time semifinalist for the Bowerman.
Photography by Molly Schiermeyer and Scott Vicker
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WORK EXCELLENCE PRIDE INTEGRITY RESPECT ACCOUNTABILITY TEAMWORK EXCELLENCE PRIDE INTEGRITY RESPECT ACCOU
