2016-17
UNIVERSITY OF DEPARTMENT
SOUTH DAKOTA OF ATHLETICS
ANNUAL REPORT
TABLE OF CONTENTS A Letter from David Herbster............................1 Inspiring Victories.............................................2 Inspiring Achievements..................................16 Inspiring Moments..........................................24 Inspiring Legacies..........................................30 Inspiring Vision...............................................32 Mission Statement..........................................38
The 2016-17 University of South Dakota Athletics Annual Report is published by the USD Athletics Department. The publication was written and edited by Bryan Boettcher and Britni Waller. Design by Britni Waller. Principal photography by Aaron Packard. USD Athletics Department DakotaDome 1101 N. Dakota Street Vermillion, SD 57069 GoYotes.com
2016-17 SOUTH DAKOTA ATHLETICS ANNUAL REPORT
“I won’t soon forget the looks on the faces of the student-athletes when they were finally able to step inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center for the first time.”
- South Dakota Director of Athletics David Herbster
FIGHT SOUTH DAKOTA! A new era was ushered in at the University of South Dakota when the Sanford Coyote Sports Center opened its doors for the first time in August when Coyote volleyball hosted North Dakota in front of more than 2,400 fans. The victory was a sign of things to come as volleyball, women’s basketball and men’s basketball combined to go 36-3 in their new home, success that propelled volleyball and men’s basketball to regular season Summit League championships. Soccer christened the First Bank & Trust Soccer Field with a 1-0 victory over Idaho and went on to beat rivals NDSU and SDSU along the way in an impressive first season on the new pitch. I can only imagine what the athletes, alumnus and fans thought of the DakotaDome when it opened its doors for the first time back in the late 1970s. If it’s anything like what I witnessed last year, one word sums it up – Wow! I won’t soon forget the looks on the faces of the student-athletes when they were finally able to step inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center for the first time. You could see the amazement, wonder and pride in all of them. With their spirits lifted, pride in their chest and a skip in their step, everybody found ways to improve. The reaction from the alumni and fans was equal to that of the studentathletes. I had multiple people come in who, when seeing the inside of the arena for the first time, had to wipe tears away from their eyes. These facilities have made an impact! When looking at the entire new athletic footprint, including the Lillibridge Track Complex and the First Bank & Trust Soccer Field, it is as impressive a set of facilities that you’ll find in the Midwest. We aren’t done yet as we now need to turn our attention to renovating the west side of the DakotaDome and continue our progress. As the new facilities gave the teams a lift, the new Hultgren Family Weight Room and Sanford Sports Medicine training room proved invaluable in our ability to train and treat our student-athletes. The Nygaard Softball Field and the tennis courts both saw facelifts this past summer, and the DakotaDome pool had new starting blocks installed. It’s not all about facilities, but it is certainly one of the most important ways for us to serve our student-athletes as well as the campus and community.
Coyote student-athletes continued to shine in the classroom during the 201617 academic year with a 3.26 collective grade point average and with nearly 70 percent carrying a 3.0 GPA or higher. More specifically, our women’s basketball team turned in the third-highest GPA in the country, women’s track and field ranked ninth nationally, volleyball ranked in the top 25, and our women’s swimming and diving team ranked 26th. In addition to academic accolades, the athletic year was highlighted by three Summit League championships, the Summit’s Women’s All-Sports Award, the league’s Sportsmanship Award, and by taking home the South Dakota Showdown Series trophy for the second time in three years. At the end of the year, we expressed our eternal gratitude and celebrated the many successes of track coach Dave Gottsleben and associate dean and faculty athletic representative Tina Keller, who announced their retirements. Combined, they spent 60 fruitful years at USD. The impact each has had on countless USD students is immeasurable and appreciated. They will be missed. It goes without saying that these many accomplishments would not be possible without incredible support. The Howling Pack continues to raise the bar and provide resources to ensure our success. Coyote Sports Properties has broadened our reach in the state and the region. The people of USD, from coaches and staff to administration and faculty, are second to none, and have positioned the University for long-term success. We will win, and we will do it the right way! Go Yotes!
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
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INSPIRING VICTORIES
THE PACK HOWLS AS ONE
Summit League championships in volleyball and women’s cross country along with three secondplace finishes helped propel South Dakota to its second consecutive Dr. Helen Smiley Women’s AllSports Award. The Coyotes’ 10 women’s programs combined to earn 58.5 points, 4.5 more than North Dakota State and 11.5 more than South Dakota State, which finished second and third, respectively.
the Dr. Helen Smiley Women’s All-Sports Awards can be found below: Summit League Commissioner’s Cup 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
North Dakota State South Dakota South Dakota State IUPUI Denver Oral Roberts Western Illinois Omaha Fort Wayne
89.0 88.5 86.0 69.5 65.5 64.5 54.5 48.5 31.0
North Dakota State finished one half point ahead of South Dakota to capture its second Commissioner’s Cup, given annually to the institution that collects the most combined points between its men’s and women’s programs. Those points are tabulated in relationship to placement in league-sponsored sports. It is the second time in the last three years Dr. Helen Smiley Women’s All-Sports that the Coyotes have finished second. The Bison totaled 89.0 points, the Coyotes had 88.5, and South 1. South Dakota 58.5 Dakota State was third with 86.0 points. 2. North Dakota State 54.0 3. South Dakota State 47.0 Ten of South Dakota’s 16 Summit League sponsored 4. IUPUI 45.5 sports placed in the top-three while four other 5. Denver 41.0 programs finished in the top four. In addition to 6. Western Illinois 36.5 women’s cross country and volleyball, the Coyotes 7. Oral Roberts 36.0 captured a Summit title in men’s basketball, and 8. Omaha 30.0 finished runner-up in women’s tennis and women’s 9. Fort Wayne 16.5 indoor and outdoor track and field. Men’s indoor and outdoor track and field, men’s golf, and women’s swimming and diving programs placed third.
Standings for the 2016-17 Commissioner’s Cup and 2
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THE SUMMIT LEAGUE’S DR. HELEN SMILEY AWARD
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INSPIRING VICTORIES
COYOTES TOP JACKS IN SERIES
For the second time in the last three years, South Dakota has topped South Dakota State 14-13 to win the annual South Dakota Showdown Series, a point-based athletic and academic competition between the two in-state university rivals. The Coyotes outscored the Jacks 11-10 in athletic competitions to bring the traveling trophy back to Vermillion. Those points were decided in head-to-head competitions and Summit League Championship finishes in 17 men’s and women’s sports. Both programs scored the maximum three points allotted for academic achievement for compiling a student-athlete grade point average above 3.0. 4
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“This is such a unique partnership with the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council that has harnessed the rivalry between our schools for the betterment of those in the state,” said University of South Dakota Director of Athletics David Herbster. “The sportsmanship, service and academic excellence showcased through the South Dakota Showdown Series has only been enhanced each year to benefit the philanthropic efforts of Feeding South Dakota.” Feeding South Dakota, the Series’ philanthropic partner, will be able to provide 350,000 meals for adults and children throughout the state due to the $70,000 donation from generous funds raised and the efforts of USD and SDSU fans, students and campus communities. A significant
SHOWDOWN SERIES portion of these monies for Feeding South Dakota resulted from the brand-new “Get Off the Bench” campaign which took place at several USD-SDSU rivalry games during the 2016-17 season. Both universities encouraged their fans and the community to “Get Off the Bench” in support of the overall goal to ultimately provide much-needed funding toward the state’s fight against hunger. “Farmers’ No. 1 mission is to feed the world and do it in a sustainable manner,” said South Dakota Corn’s Marketing Director Teddi Mueller. “We’re taking it a step further by partnering with Feeding South Dakota and making it a priority to provide nutritious meals for those who are less fortunate. Through a series of events throughout the year, we were able to raise a significant amount of money, which ensures that families don’t go hungry. The Showdown Series plays an important role in these efforts.” Spearheading the initiative with the athletic departments and South Dakota Corn are Coyote Sports Properties and Jackrabbit Sports Properties, the multimedia rights holders for USD athletics and SDSU athletics, respectively. Both are properties of Learfield, which manages multimedia rights for nearly 125 collegiate properties around the country.
A breakdown of the scoring follows: South Dakota (14) 3 – cumulative GPA above 3.0 2 – volleyball sweeps Summit series 2-0 1 – women’s soccer 1 – women’s cross country 1 – women’s basketball splits season series 1-1 1 – men’s basketball splits season series 1-1 1 – women’s swimming and diving 1 – women’s indoor track and field 1 – women’s outdoor track and field 1 – women’s tennis 1 – softball wins season series 2-1 South Dakota State (13) 3 – cumulative GPA above 3.0 2 – football 1 – women’s basketball splits season series 1-1 1 – men’s basketball splits season series 1-1 1 – men’s cross country 1 – men’s indoor track and field 1 – men’s outdoor track and field 1 – men’s swimming and diving 1 – men’s golf 1 – women’s golf Showdown Series Results 2013 – SDSU wins 14-13 2014 – SDSU wins 18-9 2015 – USD wins 14-13 2016 – SDSU wins 16-11 2017 – USD wins 14-13
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INSPIRING VICTORIES
FRESHMAN PHENOM WINS TITLE The bar stood on its stanchions at 18 feet, 4 ½ inches tall. Three vaulters remained in the competition. The home crowd favorite was Texas A&M junior Audie Wyatt. Wyatt cleared four straight bars on his first attempt leading up to the height, a surprising fact given he was one of three vaulters in the field without a mark above 18 feet during the regular season and came in ranked 16th. There was also three-time All-American Adrian Valles of Cincinnati playing a strategical game of risk. Valles missed his first attempt at the previous bar of 18-2 ½ and chose to pass his next two attempts to instead have two shots at 18-4 ½. Last to jump among the three was topranked Chris Nilsen, a freshman hailing from South Dakota. The trio each knocked the bar down in their first try at the height. Valles was eliminated from the competition when his second attempt did not clear the bar. Wyatt also didn’t have any luck in his second shot at the height. Nilsen clapped the chalk between his palms and adjusted his grip on the pole. With a Chris Nilsen
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deep exhale, he took a step back and lifted his pole as he took off down the runway. As he had executed so many times before during the season, Nilsen planted the pole into the box and vaulted into the air. He swung himself above and over the cross bar before falling to the pit on the other side. Nilsen enthusiastically jumped up from his landing in celebration. Although he had made the bar, Nilsen had not yet won the competition. Wyatt had one attempt remaining. Already with one more miss than Nilsen, he chose to pass to the next available height of 18-6 ½ to take a shot at the title. Nilsen waited in anticipation as Wyatt took off down the runway. When Wyatt clipped the bar on his way over, Nilsen clasped his hands to his mouth as he realized he had won his first NCAA Championship. With a national title in hand, Nilsen continued to raise the bar higher. Working with USD pole vault coach Derek Miles, a three-time Olympian, the next height attempt would match his personal best of 18-8 ¼. Nilsen made the bar on his third try. He even took three shots at a World Under-20 record of 19-0 ¾, but was unable to clear the height.
NCAA CHAMPION “The plan was to get my feet wet, to come in here and do my best and see what happens,” Nilsen said after the competition. “I’m happy with the results. I was gassed at the end. I put all my mental and physical energy into those last jumps. “I’m stoked right now. I don’t think everything has hit me yet.” Nilsen’s extraordinary freshman indoor season had a perfect ending as he became just the second freshman in the past 20 years to win a national title in the pole vault. He was victorious in all seven competitions throughout his freshman campaign and added a Summit League Championship meet record from two weeks prior. “To have to perform as a freshman on the biggest stage, those are the experiences that you want to see how he reacts to as a coach,” said Miles. “When the meet kicked in and he had to go, he was ready. It was fun to see him perform and really kind of exceed what he had been doing all year.” Nilsen became South Dakota’s second NCAA Division I Champion, joining Bethany (Buell) Firsick who won the outdoor pole vault in 2013. All-time, the Coyotes have captured 20 NCAA titles in track and field between Divisions I and II. Photographs by Image of Sport
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INSPIRING VICTORIES
THREE OF A KIND
To win two-in-a-row with a core group of seasoned veterans is one thing. To take home a third-straight Summit League Championships title with a set of new faces is extraordinary. Over the course of the two prior seasons, South Dakota was led by the talented trio of Amber Eichkorn, Katie Wetzstein and Kelsey Barrett. Eichkorn was a two-time NCAA Cross Country Championships qualifier and the three athletes held eight program records on the track between them. All three used the last of their cross country eligibility in 2015. A reload in 2016 was necessary for sustained success. While three-time Summit League Coach of the Year Dan Fitzsimmons recruited eight newcomers for the season, including a pair of true freshmen who mixed into the top seven, it would be up to a handful of returners to determine the season’s successes.
Noah was also the Coyotes’ front runner at the Summit League Championships, taking third in 21:30.4 for the 6,000-meter course. Wetzstein followed in fourth place with a time of 21:46.0. Wetzstein improved 22 places from the 2015 meet with an improvement of 97 seconds. Noah and Wetzstein both earned a spot on the all-Summit League first team. As the top freshman finisher, Noah also took home the Newcomer of the Championship award. Billington and sophomore Lindsay Joyce captured second-team honors. Billington crossed the finish line in 22:01.7 for ninth place while Joyce took 12th in 22:13.3. Billington dropped 40 seconds off her time from a year ago to move up four places. Joyce moved up 12 spots with a 58-second improvement from 2015.
The Coyotes were anchored by sophomore Madeline Huglen, who finished one spot off the second team in 15th place with a 22:30.2 The Coyotes won the first two meets of the season, the Augustana clocking. Huglen, who had not made the Coyotes’ conference Twilight and the Nebraska Woody Greeno Invitational, handily with meet roster for the 2015 season, dropped 1:32 off her best 6,000-meter time from the previous season. sophomore Megan Billington pacing the way. Billington, who had finished 13th at the Summit League Championships a year ago as Among the top-five runners at the Summit League the Coyotes’ fifth runner, was stepping up to the plate. Championships, the four returners posted an average personal best of 52 seconds compared to the previous season. Then there was junior Erin Wetzstein, Katie’s younger sister, who showed dramatic improvement between seasons. Wetzstein was Redshirt-sophomore Bethany Kozak and freshman Kianna the Coyotes’ front-runner at the NCAA Regional Preview as the Stewart rounded out the Coyotes’ top seven in 20th and 25th, team finished runner-up. respectively. Freshman Julia Noah started to come into her own at the Bradley The future of the Coyote women’s cross country program looks Classic, which served as the pre-conference tune-up. Noah led bright as all seven runners return for the 2017 season. the Coyotes to a fifth-place finish out of the 31 teams.
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WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY
Dan Fitzsimmons 2016 Summit League Coach of the Year
Julia Noah Freshman | Urbandale, Iowa
2016 Summit League Champions
Erin Wetzstein Junior | Hudson, Wis.
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INSPIRING VICTORIES
MAKING PROGRAM HISTORY The South Dakota volleyball team captured its first-ever conference championship to lead a season of program records. The Coyotes defeated South Dakota State on the home floor of the brand new Sanford Coyote Sports Center in a sweep to capture their first Summit League regular season championship. South Dakota unveiled its new arena on Aug. 30, 2016, with a 3-1 match victory in front of 2,400-plus fans. The single-game attendance eclipsed the combined home attendance from the entire 2015 season. Junior Brittany Jessen recorded her third career triple-double in the match with 39 assists, 19 digs and 12 kills. Senior Audrey Reeg led the Coyote offense with 13 kills. The Coyotes posted a nonconference 11-3 record before reeling off a 13-3 record in Summit League action. Sixstraight victories to open Summit League play got USD off to a hot start including a 3-2 thriller over Fort Wayne. The Mastodons captured the first two sets before the Coyotes took the next two sets to force the decisive fifth set. South Dakota jumped out to an 8-3 lead and never looked back as the Coyotes won 15-8. Reeg led USD with 18 kills while sophomore Hayley Dotseth and freshman Elizabeth Loschen added 12 more apiece. Jessen totaled 53 assists.
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Leanne Williamson
Audrey Reeg
2016 Summit League Coach of the Year
2016 Summit League Player of the Year
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South Dakota fell to NCAA Tournament participant Iowa State in its next match, marking its only home loss of the season. USD defeated Omaha 3-1 two days prior to a loss at reigning Summit League Champion Denver. However, the Coyotes bounced back winning its next three matches by sweeping Oral Roberts, Omaha and Western Illinois.
VOLLEYBALL In three-straight games on the road, the Red and White fell to North Dakota State and Fort Wayne with a victory at IUPUI sandwiched in the middle. That set up a showdown with Denver in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in a battle for first place on Nov. 11. The match didn’t disappoint as it went back-and-forth as each team traded sets. In the fifth and final set, USD jumped out to a 10-5 lead but the Pioneers fought back to knot the game at 10-all. The Coyotes regained the lead at 11-10 and would not relinquish it as Reeg swatted the final kill in the 15-13 set to take the match 3-2. Reeg tallied a season-high 24 kills and Jessen added 57 assists. In the regular season finale, the Coyotes easily handled the Jackrabbits in the sweep to conclude a 10-1 season in the Sanford Coyote Sports Center and capture the program’s first conference championship.
The Coyotes recorded a program-record 25 wins on the season along with 13 Summit League victories, another program best. South Dakota swept 17 opponents on the year and went 18 games into the season before playing a fifth set. In fact, USD only played two five-set games during the season with home conference wins over Fort Wayne and Denver. South Dakota nearly swept the Summit League awards at the conclusion of the season. Leanne Williamson earned Summit League Coach of the Year accolades after her third season at the helm of the program. Reeg was named the Summit League Player of the Year, ranking second in the league for kills (3.96) and ninth for digs (3.62) per set. She ranked 54th in the nation for kills per set.
Jessen earned Summit League Setter of the Year honors for the second-straight season. At the Summit League Tournament hosted by She led the league in assists per set (11.06) Denver, South Dakota swept North Dakota State and ranked 23rd nationally. Jessen also ranked in the semifinals to advance to championship second for service aces (42) in the Summit game for the first time in program history. The and 53rd in the nation. Loschen took home hosts met the Coyotes in the championship the Summit’s Freshman of the Year award, game. Denver’s middles created a wall and averaging 2.36 kills and 0.43 blocks per set. In swatted down 17 blocks in the match to end addition, senior middle blocker Lindsey Brown USD’s run at an NCAA Tournament with a was honorable mention all-league. 3-1 match victory. Reeg and sophomore As a team, South Dakota ended the season libero Lauren Mattison were named to the alltournament team. ranked No. 2 in the nation for digs per set (18.44), 28th in assists per set (13.26) and 40th in kills per set (13.99).
Brittany Jessen 2016 Summit League Setter of the Year
Elizabeth Loschen 2016 Summit League Freshman of the Year
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INSPIRING VICTORIES
A SEASON TO REMEMBER
What a difference a year makes. South Dakota, with its new arena and almost an entirely new roster, shocked everyone by winning its first regular season Summit League championship after being picked to finish last, or close to last, by nearly every preseason publication. The Coyotes, under third-year head coach Craig Smith, won 22 games for the first time in seven seasons, captured the Summit title outright with a 12-4 record, and received its first bid to compete in the postseason NIT.
the conference opener and missed the next seven games. He returned at the start of the second half of the Summit slate and averaged 18.5 points while shooting 61 percent from the field as the team won seven of eight. The Coyotes clinched the title outright with a road win at IUPUI in the regular season finale. South Dakota took a six-game win streak into the Summit League Tournament in Sioux Falls and squeaked past Western Illinois in the first round with a 78-69 overtime victory. That setup a semifinal showdown with South Dakota State, the No. 4 seed. The Coyotes
"WHAT A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR OUR GUYS. We have an unbelievable group of young men. We’ve come a long way from our trip to Spain, but our trip to Spain is what really helped us get to this point with developing relationships, the guys bonding and coming together, and to be able to do this with so many young guys is incredible.”
- Head coach Craig Smith Four of five starters were competing in a Coyote uniform for the first time after transferring to USD, and the three players who received the most minutes off the bench were true freshmen. Credit the team’s summer trip to Spain for building comradery and laying the foundation for the special season to come. Then there is the new facility, the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, which allowed for three early home games that propelled the team to its first 5-0 start since 2007. The Coyotes finished 13-1 at home – their best record since 2009 – including a 91-89 win against South Dakota State there in mid-February before more than 5,000 in attendance. The only senior on the team was big man Tyler Flack, who played a pivotal role down the stretch. Flack was injured in 12
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jumped out to a 16-point lead, but lost on a last-second shot by State guard Michael Orris. The Coyotes’ regular season title gave them an automatic bid to the NIT and providing the program its first postseason appearance since 2010. South Dakota took on top-seeded Iowa in Iowa City on March 15 and fell off the pace late in an 87-75 defeat. Awards were aplenty. Smith was named Summit Coach of the Year and District 12 Coach of the Year by the NABC. Sophomore guard Matt Mooney, the team’s leading scorer at 18.6 points per game, joined Flack in earning first-team all-Summit honors and was named Summit Transfer of the Year. Mooney and teammates Trey Dickerson and Trey Burch-Manning took three of the five spots on the Summit’s all-Newcomer Team.
MEN’S BASKETBALL
Craig Smith 2016-17 Summit League Coach of the Year
Matt Mooney
Tyler Flack
Trey Burch-Manning
2016-17 Summit League Transfer of the Year
2016-17 All-Summit League
2016-17 Summit League All-Newcomer
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TRACK & FIELD
INSPIRING VICTORIES
Danielle Waldner
Senior | Redfield, S.D.
Jay Cooper
Indoor shot put - 53-2 1/4 Outdoor shot put - 56-11 1/2
Junior | Montego Bay, Jamaica
Indoor 60m hurdles - 8.14 Outdoor 110m hurdles - 14.31 Outdoor 400m hurdles - 52.46
Indoor 60m hurdles - 8.51 Outdoor 100m hurdles - 13.76
Emily Brigham
Samara Spencer
Senior | Shawnee, Kan.
Freshman | Spanish Town, Jamaica
Indoor pole vault - 13-5
Indoor high jump - 5-7
Zack Anderson Freshman | Parker, S.D. Outdoor high jump - 7-1
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Shanice Cannigan
Senior | Rapid City, S.D.
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SUMMIT LEAGUE CHAMPIONS
Amber Eichkorn
Jack Thony/Joe Reagan/ Sam Clark/Gawain Williams
Senior | Wichita, Kan. Outdoor 10,000m - 35:57.60 Outdoor 5,000m - 17:06.76
Outdoor 4x100 relay - 40.41
Chris Nilsen Freshman | Kansas City, Mo. Indoor pole vault - 18-5 1/2 Outdoor pole vault - 18-1
Gawain Williams
Emily Grove
Junior | Hanover, Jamaica
Senior | Pontiac, Ill.
Outdoor 100m - 10.40
Outdoor pole vault - 13-7 3/4
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INSPIRING ACHIEVEMENTS
SUMMIT LEAGUE ATHLETES OF THE YEAR
4-TIME DIVER OF THE YEAR REEG GARNERS MVP AWARD Senior Greysen Hertting was named the Summit League Diver of the Year for the fourth consecutive season in 2016-17. She became the third athlete in Summit history to win a yearly award four times. Hailing from Appleton, Wis., Hertting was the runner-up on the 3-meter dive (279.95 points) and placed fourth on the 1-meter dive (236.90 points) at the Summit League Championships. Hertting advanced to the NCAA Zone Diving Championships. She scored 274.70 points in the 1-meter preliminary to advance to the finals. She finished in 17th place out of 44 competitors with a combined score of 529.40. She also placed 33rd in the 3-meter with a score of 249.90.
Senior Audrey Reeg became the second Coyote in program history to be named the Summit League Volleyball Player of the Year. Reeg also earned a spot on the Summit’s All-League team and All-Tournament team. She helped the Coyotes capture the program’s first conference title and finish the season with a 25-7 overall record and 13-3 Summit League record. A native of Dubuque, Iowa, Reeg led the Coyotes and ranked second in the Summit with 3.96 kills per set. She also added 3.62 digs per set. Reeg tallied 19 double-doubles and reached double-figure totals for kills 26 times during the season. Reeg totaled 432 kills, 395 digs, 50 assists and 34 aces for the season.
On the season, Hertting won 16 event titles and collected seven Diver of the Week awards. She extended her league record and won the weekly award 32 times. 16
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Reeg graduates as the fourth player in program history to surpass 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in her career. She finished with the sixth-most kills (1,266) and fourth-most digs (1,470) in school history.
SET EM UP Junior Brittany Jessen earned her second consecutive Summit League Setter of the Year award. Jessen also made the Summit’s All-League team after averaging 11.06 assists, 3.28 digs and 1.32 kills per set on the season. She ranks second in school history for career assists (3,743).
YOTES SWEEP FIELD AWARD Coyote pole vaulters, senior Emily Grove and freshman Chris Nilsen, swept the Summit League’s Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year honors. Nilsen was also named the Summit Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. Grove picked up her third Field Athlete of the Year award from the Summit. The senior from Pontiac, Ill., became the ninth collegiate woman to break the 15-foot barrier this spring after vaulting a lifetime best 15 feet, 1 inch. Grove collected six All-America awards in her career, the most of any Coyote at the NCAA Division I level. Nilsen swept the indoor and outdoor Field Athlete of the Year awards after a pair of top-three finishes at the NCAA Championships. Nilsen was also named the USTFCCCA Midwest Field Athlete of the Year. Nilsen boasted the top mark in the NCAA this spring with a clearance of 18-9 ½. He also captured a pair of Summit League Championship meet records.
OFF THE BENCH
Freshman Madison McKeever became the fifth true freshman in league history to capture the Summit League Women’s Basketball Sixth Woman of the Year award. McKeever averaged 7.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals per game. 2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
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INSPIRING ACHIEVEMENTS
2017 ALL-AMERICANS
South Dakota track and field garnered five All-America honors by four athletes during the 2017 season. Freshman Chris Nilsen capped off his first-year campaign with a pair of top-3 pole vault finishes at the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championship meets. Nilsen captured the NCAA Indoor Championship pole vault title with a height of 18-8 1/2. He clinched the title with a clearance of 18-4 1/2, but went on to tie his personal best height. Nilsen became the Coyotes’ seventh men’s NCAA Champion and first at the Division I level. He also tied for third place in the pole vault at the NCAA Outdoor Championships with a height of 17-10 1/2. Nilsen holds the top finish by a Coyote male at the Div. I NCAA indoor and outdoor meets.
CONSENSUS ALL-AMERICAN
South Dakota senior Miles Bergner was named a first-team AllAmerican punter by all six major publications after leading the nation with a USD-record 47.5-yard average. In addition to his punting performance, Bergner made 14 of 18 field goal tries and all 41 extra-point attempts to become the program’s all-time leading scorer with 276 career points. Bergner became the first player in the 32-year history of the MVFC to be named both a first-team all-MVFC punter and first-team allMVFC place-kicker in the same season. He was also one of 10 finalists for the Fred Mitchell Award, given to the nation’s top placekicker in accordance to on and off the field performance. Following the season, Bergner competed in the NFLPA Collegiate Bowl in California, and for the Colorado Crush of the IFL. 18 2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
Chris Nilsen Freshman | Kansas City, Mo.
In addition to Nilsen’s finishes, the Coyotes had three second-team All-America finishes on the women’s side. Freshman classmate Samara Spencer joined Nilsen at the NCAA Indoor Championships. Spencer leaped 21-1 1/4 in the long jump at the Hawkeye Challenge for her qualifying mark. She finished in 16th place with a mark of 18-2 1/2 for second-team All-America honors.
ADDITIONAL ATHLETES OF THE YEAR Elizabeth Loschen Volleyball Summit League Freshman of the Year
Chris Streveler Football MVFC Newcomer of the Year
Seniors Emily Grove and Danielle Waldner punched their tickets to the NCAA Outdoor Championships from the NCAA West Preliminary.
Matt Mooney Men’s Basketball
Grove picked up her sixth career All-America honor, the most of any Coyote at the NCAA Division I level, after tying for 15th in the pole vault. She cleared 13-1 1/2 on her first attempt. Grove vaulted an NCAA leading height of 15-1 at the Sioux City Relays in April and held the nation’s top mark for three weeks. Waldner, the first Coyote to qualify for the NCAA Championships in the shot put, earned second-team All-America honors with a 14th-place finish. She launched the shot put 54-0 1/2 on her second throw of the competition. Waldner boasted a season and career best of 56-11 1/2 from the Summit League Championships.
Summit League Transfer of the Year
Ciara Duffy Women’s Basketball Summit League Freshman of the Year
Camille Fowler Softball Summit League Freshman of the Year
Tommy Vining Men’s Golf Summit League Newcomer of the Year
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INSPIRING ACHIEVEMENTS
ACADEMIC ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE
2017 ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICA Seniors Emily Grove and Amber Eichkorn were selected to the 2017 CoSIDA Academic All-America Women’s Track and Field/Cross Country teams. Grove earned a spot on the first team while Eichkorn was named to the third team.
Women’s Cross Country Erin Wetzstein
Men’s Indoor Track & Field Jay Cooper
South Dakota women’s track and field brings its total to eight Academic AllAmericans. USD boasts 56 Academic All-America honors across all sports.
Women’s Volleyball Brittany Jessen Audrey Reeg
Women’s Indoor Track & Field Emily Brigham Shanice Cannigan Amber Eichkorn Danielle Waldner
Grove graduated from USD with a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and sport science in 2015 and her master’s degree in 2017. Grove, the 2017 Summit League Outdoor Field Athlete of the Year, became the ninth collegiate woman to break the 15-foot barrier in the pole vault this spring after clearing a personal best 15 feet, 1 inch. Grove owns six All-America awards, the most of any Coyote at the NCAA Division I level. She also captured her fourth Summit League pole vault title at the outdoor meet in May.
Women’s Soccer Sammie Villwock Women’s Basketball Allison Arens Men’s Swimming & Diving Adam Fenton Jacob Knowles
Women’s Golf Brenna Lervick Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Jay Cooper
Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Amber Eichkorn Women’s Swimming & Diving Emily Grove Theresa Godlewski Greysen Hertting
Eichkorn completed her bachelor’s degree in kinesiology and sport science in 2016 and began her master’s degree in the fall. Eichkorn, the 2017 Summit League Indoor and Outdoor Track Championship MVP, brought her career total to six Summit crowns at the conclusion of the outdoor meet. She holds seven USD program records in distance events. Eichkorn was the first Coyote to qualify for the NCAA DI Cross Country Championships in 2014 and repeated the effort in 2015.
MVFC ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM Football Miles Bergner
COSIDA ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT Women’s Basketball Allison Arens
Football Miles Bergner Amber Eichkorn
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2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
Emily Grove
SUMMIT LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDS Women’s Cross Country Julia Noah, Newcomer of the Championship Women’s Volleyball Audrey Reeg, All-Tournament Lauren Mattison, All-Tournament Women’s Indoor Track and Field Amber Eichkorn, Track Championship MVP Samara Spencer, Field Championship MVP Samara Spencer, Newcomer of the Championship Men’s Basketball Matt Mooney, All-Tournament Men’s Golf Cody Seal, All-Tournament Softball Camille Fowler, All-Tournament Emily Winckler, All-Tournament Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Amber Eichkorn, Track Championship MVP Britny Kerr, Newcomer of the Championship Samara Spencer, Newcomer of the Championship
ALL-MISSOURI VALLEY FOOTBALL CONFERENCE Football Miles Bergner, 1st Chris Streveler, 2nd Jet Moreland, 2nd
ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE Men’s Cross Country Mach Dojiok, 2nd Women’s Cross Country Julia Noah, 1st Erin Wetzstein, 1st Megan Billington, 2nd Lindsay Joyce, 2nd Women’s Soccer Katlin Ptacek, 2nd Women’s Volleyball Brittany Jessen, 1st Audrey Reeg, 1st Men’s Basketball Tyler Flack, 1st Matt Mooney, 1st Women’s Basketball Allison Arens, 1st Men’s Swimming & Diving Eric Erlenmeyer, 50 free Isaac Morris, 1-meter dive, 3-meter dive Hunter Padgett, 800 free relay Josh Sorbe, 800 free relay Nathan Spencer, 800 free relay Steve Wascom, 800 free relay Women’s Swimming & Diving Quinn Fawcett, 800 free relay Theresa Godlewski, 200 free relay, 400 free relay Greysen Hertting, 3-meter dive Taylor Kidd, 400 free relay, 800 free relay Charlie Mechling, 800 free relay Allie Pfauth, 200 free relay Sabrina Sabadeanu, 200 back, 200 free relay, 400 free relay Sam Schutt, 200 free, 200 free relay, 400 free relay, 800 free relay Men’s Golf Tommy Vining, 1st Cody Seal, 2nd Women’s Golf Brenna Lervick, 1st Women’s Tennis Ellie Burns, 1st Barbora Kollarova, 1st Nanette Nylund, 1st Softball Jessica Rogers, 1st Camille Fowler, 1st Emily Winckler, 1st Rachel Cue, 2nd
Men’s Indoor Track & Field Zack Anderson, high jump Jacob Barents, weight throw Ethan Bray, pole vault Jay Cooper, 60m hurdles Jake David, pole vault Mach Dojiok, distance medley relay Mario Magana, distance medley relay Chris Nilsen, pole vault Jacob Simmons, distance medley relay Eldon Warner, distance medley relay Gawain Williams, 60m Women’s Indoor Track & Field Megan Billington, 5,000m Emily Brigham, pole vault Shanice Cannigan, 60m hurdles, pentathlon Amber Eichkorn, mile, 3,000m, 5,000m Mallory Fine, distance medley relay Britny Kerr, high jump Madison Mills, pole vault Nicole Schmidt, distance medley relay Samara Spencer, high jump, long jump, triple jump, 60m Danielle Waldner, shot put Ellie Wilson, distance medley relay Rachael Zeiger, distance medley relay Men’s Outdoor Track & Field Zack Anderson, high jump Jacob Barents, shot put Ethan Bray, pole vault Sam Clark, 4x100m relay Jay Cooper, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles Tyler Frank, high jump Ben Hammer, discus Chris Nilsen, pole vault Joe Reagan, long jump, 4x100m relay Jacob Simmons, 1,500m Jack Thony, 4x100m relay Dustin Valind, discus Eldon Warner, 800m, 1,500m Gawain Williams, 4x100m relay Women’s Outdoor Track & Field Megan Billington, 5,000m, 10,000m Shanice Cannigan, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, high jump, 4x100m relay Meghan Dennis, javelin Karina Dufoe, 100m, 4x100m relay Amber Eichkorn, 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m Tasheka Gordon, 4x100m relay Emily Grove, pole vault Madeline Huglen, 3,000m steeple Brooke Ireland, 400m Britny Kerr, 100m hurdles Madison Mills, pole vault Samara Spencer, 4x100m relay Danielle Waldner, shot put Erin Wetzstein, 10,000m
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
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INSPIRING ACHIEVEMENTS
4.0 CUMULATIVE GPA as of the end of spring 2016 Banks, Nile Brown, Lindsey Duffy, Ciara Falck, Levi Gordon, Tasheka Ireland, Brooke Khan, Armand Kilian, Sunny Kozak, Bethany Loschen, Elizabeth Matthew, Jacob Mechling, Charlie Pandya, Maria Ptacek, Katlin Rasmussen, Anne Sorbe, Josh Svendson, Katie Thielbar, Jordan Villwock, Sammie Wessel, John
Football Volleyball Basketball Football Track and Field Track and Field Track and Field Golf Cross Country/Track Volleyball Football Swimming and Diving Tennis Soccer Volleyball Swimming and Diving Swimming and Diving Swimming and Diving Soccer Football
3.50-3.99 CUMULATIVE GPA Adler, Lauren Anderson, Zack Arens, Allison Arens, Bridget Aune, Maddie Banales, Michelle Bartlett, Katie Benes, Brook Bergner, Miles Bermudez, Carmen Bickley, Cortney Boman, Lara Bonar, Megan Boyle, Lily Bradley, Jaycee Brown, Andrew Brown, Taylor Bruggeman, Haley
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Swimming and Diving Track and Field Basketball Basketball Track and Field Softball Golf Cross Country/Track Football Track and Field Track and Field Soccer/Track and Field Basketball Soccer Basketball Golf Cross Country/Track Track and Field
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL Burns, Ellie Butterfield, Madeline Carnazzo, Anna Carpio, Amanda Christensen, Colette Cooper, Jay Cowman, Brice Coyle, Ellie Duffy, Caitlin Drazick, Tommy Dufoe, Karina Dufrane, Abby Eichkorn, Amber Fehringer, Bryce Feldman, Jessica Fenton, Adam Fine, Mallory Fogg, Abigail Fossum, Christian Frederick, Taylor Fritza, Haley Fudenberg, Scott Godlewski, Theresa Grove, Emily Gupton, Hannah Heinrichs, Justin Heitman, Taylor Herrmann, Connor Hertting, Greysen Holscher, Jamie Hopkins, Spencer Howard, Allison Huglen, Madeline Jessen, Brittany Joyce, Lindsay Junkroski, Julia Kamenik, Tomas Keil, Shelby Kerr, Britny Kidd, Taylor Kirtley, Tayler Klein, Kimberley Kleiner, Erin Knapp, Eleni Kollarova, Barbora
Tennis Soccer Soccer Soccer Track and Field Track and Field Cross Country/Track Cross Country/Track Basketball Swimming and Diving Track and Field Golf Track and Field Swimming and Diving Cross Country/Track Swimming and Diving Track and Field Basketball Swimming and Diving Basketball Cross Country/Track Golf Swimming and Diving Track and Field Swimming and Diving Football Track and Field Football Swimming and Diving Softball Football Cross Country/Track Cross Country/Track Volleyball Cross Country/Track Track and Field Track and Field Softball Track and Field Swimming and Diving Swimming and Diving Cross Country/Track Swimming and Diving Track and Field Tennis
Kott, Ravan Krzyzanowski, Kaitlyn Lake, Alli Law, Kelly Lawrence, Jack Leighton, Hunter Lekavy, Kellee Libbey, Pierce Lundstrom, Emily Marsh, Evan Mattison, Lauren Noah, Julia Nowlan, Berkley Nylund, Nanette Oettel, Bailey Paugh, Hunter Pfauth, Allie Peterson, Tyler Power, Logan Quandt, Rachel Reeg, Audrey Rytz, Parker Scheideger, Mason Schiermeyer, Molly Schlager, Joe Schmidt, Brennan Schmidt, Nicole Schmidt, Rachel Schutt, Brady Shostrom, Emilee Slater, Lauren Steinfeldt, Taylor Stensgard, Jack Stewart, Kianna Streveler, Chris Susak, Kristina Swift, Miranda Szymonski, Elizabeth Teslow, Julie Thau, Cooper Thompson, Ashley Tsagalis, Tyler Valind, Dustin Vander Esch, Caleb Warner, Eldon
Track and Field Golf Track and Field Volleyball Swimming and Diving Track and Field Swimming and Diving Cross Country/Track Swimming and Diving Swimming and Diving Volleyball Cross Country/Track Swimming and Diving Tennis Cross Country Golf Swimming and Diving Basketball Basketball Track and Field Volleyball Soccer Football Track and Field Football Track and Field Cross Country/Track Volleyball Football Track and Field Softball Softball Basketball Cross Country/Track Football Volleyball Soccer Track and Field Soccer Soccer Track and Field Football Track and Field Football Cross Country/Track
ACADEMIC HONOR ROLL Warnock, Christy Watson, Brooke Wetzstein, Erin Wich, Hannah Wiegand, Ally Wilkes, Hunter Willer, Kellee Wilson, Ellie Wilson, Sydney
Softball Soccer Cross Country/Track Tennis Softball Track and Field Soccer Track and Field Soccer
3.00-3.49 CUMULATIVE GPA Albrecht, Courtney Anderson, Tanner Armstead, Isaac Aune, Andrew Baker, Brittney Baker, Courtney Billington, Megan Biltoft, Kelsey Bouma, Trevor Braghini, Kelly Bray, Ethan Bredl, Sean Brenner, Cami Breyer, Aaron Brigham, Emily Brown, Alyssa Bryant, Madison Buelte, Natalie Burmeister, Makenzie Campbell, Grant Cannigan, Shanice Clark, Sam Coker, Alex Colpitts, Brandon Cornell, Kassidie Dennis, Meghan Dessler, Taylor Dotseth, Hayley Draayer, Hannah Esser, Abby Falaniko, Ethan Fawcett, Quinn
Track and Field Football Football Football Soccer Soccer Cross Country/Track Basketball Football Volleyball Track and Field Football Track and Field Cross Country/Track Track and Field Track and Field Swimming and Diving Swimming and Diving Soccer Golf Track and Field Track and Field Football Football Swimming and Diving Track and Field Swimming and Diving Volleyball Track and Field Softball Football Swimming and Diving
Fenchel, Ethan Fields, Kayla Fisher, Clayton Floysand, Katelyn Fowler, Camille Frank, Maxwell Frank, Tyler Fuelberth, Gunner Fujan, Jordan Garlock, Ben Godsey, Brandon Green, Megan Grimshaw, Lottie Gutknecht, Mady Hagedorn, Tyler Haines, Ivy Hale, Josh Hammer, Ben Hannah, Haley Headlee, Jacob Hodges, Brooklynn Howell, Kelly Howell, Steven Jackson, Shamar James, Ethan Jech, Dan Jensen, Nick Johnson, Matthew Johnson, Tyler Juffer, Kathleen Karas, Tayler Kelly, Taylor Kennedy, Ed Kerns, Meagan Kerrigan, Karli Knowles, Jacob LaBree, Taryn Lambert, Taylor Leohr, Jake Lervick, Brenna Limon, Erica Liveringhouse, Kate Makwinja, Dodi McKeever, Madison McNeal, Kyle
Track and Field Softball Football Soccer Softball Football Track and Field Football Track and Field Football Football Softball Cross Country/Track Soccer Basketball Track and Field Football Track and Field Swimming and Diving Football Cross Country/Track Swimming and Diving Swimming and Diving Football Football Basketball Football Football Football Swimming and Diving Soccer Soccer Football Volleyball Golf Swimming and Diving Soccer Football Football Golf Softball Basketball Football Basketball Swimming and Diving
Mertlik, Colin Meyer, Lindsey Mills, Madison Moreland, Jet Morris, Isaac Nilsen, Chris Norlin, Samantha Paulsen, Hunter Peery, John Peguero, Luis Petersen, Lexi Ramsey, Aaron Rogers, Jessica Ruzicka, Cora Saeger, Ryan Saunders, Brady Schank, Sarah Seal, Cody Severyn, Kaitlyn Sidenko, Yuliya Simmons, Austin Simmons, Jacob Simpson, Triston Spencer, Samara Stodola, Courtney Thiele, Conner Thony, Jack Thull, Brandon Tolan, Matt Toy, Ethan Van Roekel, Brandt Waldner, Danielle Wendt, Nathan West, Raquel Wester, Mary Whitcomb, DeValon Williams, Alanisse Williams, Gawain Winckler, Emily Yasgar, Ricki Zeiger, Rachael
Football Swimming and Diving Track and Field Football/Track and Field Swimming and Diving Track and Field Swimming and Diving Cross Country/Track Football Football Golf Football Softball Swimming and Diving Football Swimming and Diving Swimming and Diving Golf Basketball Tennis Football Cross Country/Track Basketball Track and Field Soccer Football Track and Field Football Golf Track and Field Football Track and Field Cross Country/Track Volleyball Track and Field Football Track and Field Track and Field Softball Soccer Cross Country/Track
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
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INSPIRING MOMENTS
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09.04.16
Men’s Golf
reshman Matt Tolan took medalist honors at his first collegiate meet and South Dakota took home the team title at the UNO Invitational. Tolan won the tournament by three strokes with a final score of 213 (77-67-69).
09.17.16
Women’s Cross Country
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he Coyotes placed six in the top-20 to capture Nebraska’s Woody Greeno Invitational. South Dakota defeated Nebraska, Kansas State, Omaha and Wichita State in the race.
09.10.16 Football
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outh Dakota scored 21 unanswered points in the final 11 minutes of regulation to force overtime and beat Weber State 52-49 on a Miles Bergner 34-yard field goal in double overtime.
09.23.16 Volleyball
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enior Audrey Reeg tallied the 1,000th kill of her career as the Coyotes swept Western Illinois. Reeg became the ninth Coyote to reach 1,000 kills and the fourth to also boast 1,000 career digs. Reeg garnered 2016 Summit League Player of the Year honors. 24
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
10.22.16 Football
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edshirt freshman Austin Simmons threw two touchdown passes and the Coyote defense forced three turnovers while holding Illinois State to seven points in the second half in a 27-24 victory. It was the third win in a row for South Dakota, which matched its best start in Valley play at 3-1. Illinois State, the two-time defending Valley co-champions, lost for the first time in six games against the Coyotes.
09.27.16 Women’s Golf
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enior Brenna Lervick shot a program record 4-under par with a final round score of 68 at the Chip-N Club Invitational held at the Wilderness Ridge Golf Club in Lincoln, Neb. Lervick kicked off day three in 22nd place, but the final round moved her to eighth place at the meet.
10.29.16
Men’s Cross Country
10.14.16
Women’s Soccer
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outh Dakota defeated South Dakota State, 2-1, for the first time since the move to Division I. The all-time series between the programs is now tied at 5-5. Junior defender Katlin Ptacek and freshman striker Taryn LaBree each scored in the contest.
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enior Mach Dojiok, a three-time Summit League 800-meter champion, earned his first all-league honors in cross country. Dojiok covered the 8,000-meter course in 26:10.5 for 14th place, which earned him a spot on the all-Summit League second team. In the team races, the Coyote women won their thirdstraight title while the men finished fourth. 2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
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01.26.17 INSPIRING MOMENTS
Women’s Basketball
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he Coyotes buried the Bison, 80-48, with 16 made 3-pointers. Freshman Ciara Duffy drained six and sophomore Jaycee Bradley added five made 3s. The victory brought South Dakota’s home winning streak to 24 games, a program record. At the time, it was the third-longest active streak in the nation behind UConn and Baylor.
11.11.16 Volleyball
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outh Dakota defeated two-time defending Summit League Champion Denver in a 3-2 nail-biter inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. The victory moved the two teams into a tie for first place. After a win over South Dakota State the following night, the Coyotes earned a share of the Summit League regular season title.
01.14.17
Women’s Track & Field
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reshman Samara Spencer leaped 21-1 1/4 in the long jump at the Hawkeye Challenge. The mark crushed Elena Swan’s 19-year-old program record by more than a foot and qualified Spencer for the NCAA Indoor Championships where she finished in 16th place. 26
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
02.11.17 Men’s Basketball
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outh Dakota defeated South Dakota State 91-89 in front of 5,265 fans in the first-ever meeting between the rivals inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. Sophomore Matt Mooney hit three-straight 3-pointers late in the game to boost the Coyotes to victory over the Jacks. Mooney finished with a game-high 25 points while senior Tyler Flack tallied 23 points.
02.18.17
Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving
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he Coyotes finished third in the women’s team race and fourth on the men’s side at the Summit League Championships. It marks the fifth time since the Coyotes joined the Summit in 2010 that the women have placed third and this season’s 582.5 points is a program record. USD’s men also scored a program-record 474.5 points while taking fourth.
03.16.17
Women’s Basketball
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outh Dakota rolled past North Dakota, 78-55, in the first round of the Women’s National Invitation Tournament behind sophomore guard Allison Arens’ 13th 20-point game of the season. Arens shot 11-of-13 from the field for 24 points, adding seven steals and four assists to her stat line.
02.25.17
Men’s Basketball
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outh Dakota clinched its first-ever Summit League regular season championship with a 92-85 victory over IUPUI. Omaha defeated North Dakota State on the same day to give the Coyotes the title outright. In the regular season finale, the Coyotes won their sixth-straight game to finish league action with a 12-4 record. Sophomore Matt Mooney led all scorers with 27 points.
04.02.17 Softball
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outh Dakota junior Megan Green tossed her first collegiate shutout as the Coyotes took two out of three from the Jacks to earn a point in the South Dakota Showdown Series. Green earned two wins and pitched 11 scoreless innings while allowing just eight hits during the series.
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04.28.17
INSPIRING MOMENTS
Women’s Tennis
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fter No. 2 South Dakota defeated No. 3 Oral Roberts 4-1 in the semifinals, the Coyotes advanced to the program’s first ever Summit League Tournament Championship game. The Coyotes fell 4-0 to top-seeded Denver in the championship match. USD finished with a 4-2 record in Summit League play and placed three athletes, Ellie Burns, Barbora Kollarova and Nanette Nylund, on the all-Summit League team.
04.15.17 Softball
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outh Dakota took two out of three from the five-time defending Summit League champs, taking its first regular season series against North Dakota State at the Division I level. The Bison had not been shut out in back-to-back games in conference play since 2011.
04.21.17
Women’s Track and Field
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enior Emily Grove became the ninth collegiate woman to break the 15-foot barrier in the pole vault at the Sioux City Relays. Grove vaulted an NCAAleading height of 15-1. On the same night, freshman Chris Nilsen took sole posession of the NCAA lead in the men’s pole vault with a jump of 18-9 1/2.
06.25.17
Men’s and Women’s Track & Field
S
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2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
outh Dakota pole vaulters Emily Grove and Chris Nilsen qualified to represent the United States at the 2017 IAAF World Championships. Nilsen vaulted a school record 18-10 1/4 to place third while Grove tied her personal best of 15-1 in a third-place jump off.
INSPIRING MOMENTS
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Seniors Miles Bergner and Audrey Reeg Carl & Hazel Hoy Award
2017 HOWLING PACK AWARDS
he University of South Dakota athletic department announced its 2016-17 Howling Pack award winners on April 26 at a ceremony in the Muenster University Center ballroom. The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee organized the ceremony, which recognized Coyote individual and team accomplishments on the playing field, in the classroom and in the community. Track and field athlete Chris Nilsen was named the Dr. John Van Why Male Athlete of the Year and volleyball player Audrey Reeg received the Catie Tobin Female Athlete of the Year.
Football kicker/punter Miles Bergner and women’s basketball forward Bridget Arens earned Scholar Athlete of the Year honors. The scholar-athlete is reserved for accomplished senior student-athletes with a minimum 3.2 cumulative grade-point average. The Carl & Hazel Hoy Award, presented by Nancy McCahren, honored Bergner and Reeg for their outstanding leadership, athletic and academic achievement. The event was divided into three sections: SAAC awards, athletic department awards and coaches awards.
Football, Coyote Cup Champions
Senior Audrey Reeg, Catie Tobin Female Athlete of the Year
Freshman Chris Nilsen, Dr. John Van Why Male Athlete of the Year
Seniors Miles Bergner and Bridget Arens (not pictured), Male and Female Scholar Athletes of the Year
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
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INSPIRING LEGACIES
DEREK MILES AWARDED OLYMPIC BRONZE South Dakota alum Derek Miles was presented with an Olympic bronze medal by U.S. Senator John Thune on April 17, 2017, on the campus of the University of South Dakota. Miles received a reallocated bronze medal for his pole vault performance at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. The International Olympic Committee stripped a handful of athletes of their medals after banned substances were found during retests of samples from the games. Among them was Ukranian Denys Yurchenko, who had placed one spot ahead of Miles in the event. Miles and other members of Team USA receiving reallocated medals will be officially honored at the 2017 U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Assembly with an official Olympic Medal Ceremony scheduled for Oct. 12-13 in Colorado Springs, Colo. Members of the Coyote track and field team, alumni, media members and fans gathered inside the DakotaDome Club for the medal presentation. Notable speakers included U.S. Olympic Committee CEO Scott Blackmun, U.S. Track and Field Chief of Sport Performance Duffy Mahoney and Thune.
“It is an honor to be here to pay tribute to one of South Dakota’s world-class athletes,” said Blackmun. “Derek embodies everything the Olympic movement stands for. As a student-athlete here at South Dakota, he was a five-time All-American in the pole vault and went on to become one of the best pole vaulters in the world for more than a decade, competing in three Olympic games and six world championships. He traveled the world representing the University, the state of South Dakota and our country as a proud member of Team USA. He was and continues to be an ambassador for the values and ideals of the Olympic movement.”
DEREK MILES, CLASS OF ‘96, ‘98
A three-time Olympian, Miles has spent the past 14 years as a coach with the USD track and field program. Under his guidance, South Dakota has become one of the premiere vault programs in the nation. “Anyone who has had success in life is surrounded by amazing people,” said Miles. “That’s what it’s all about. Ninety-five percent of the reason I had any success in this sport was from the people in this room and this state. When you come to an area with amazing people, there’s always some there who’s going to help you. I am truly fortunate to have fallen into this place and you guys are probably stuck with me as I’m not sure I’m every going to leave.” 30
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
INSPIRING LEGACIES
SUMMIT LEAGUE SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD The University of South Dakota was honored by its fellow institutions with the 2016-17 Summit League Sportsmanship Award. It marked the second consecutive year the Coyotes earned the prestigious award.
ONCE A COYOTE, ALWAYS A COYOTE The University of South Dakota awarded degrees to nearly 2,000 candidates between the winter and spring commencement ceremonies. Of those candidates, 56 were student-athletes. Their names are listed below. Danielle Anderson Bridget Arens Will Armstead Jonnie Batchelor Sean Bredl Emily Brigham Madison Bryant Trevor Bouma Grant Campbell Rachel Cue Mach Dojiok Riley Donovan Jessica Feldman Adam Fenton Kayla Fields Tyler Flack Abigail Fogg Ian Ford Tyson Graham Jr.
Emily Grove Tia Hemiller Greysen Hertting McKenzie Huska Shelby Keil Tayler Kirtley Erin Kleiner Jacob Knowles Ravan Kott Kaitlyn Krzyzanowski Taylor Lambert Brenna Lervick Thomas McGuire Michael Meinert Lucas Mikkelsen Madison Mills Berkley Nowlan Devon O’Farrell Allie Pfauth
Drew Potter Aaron Ramsey Audrey Reeg Nicole Schmidt Rachel Schmidt Austin Sparks Corey Strang Chase Testa Ashley Thompson Jasmine Trimboli Danielle Waldner Jacob Warner Brooke Watson Phillip Wells Hunter Wilkes Hannah Withrow Luke Worden Charlotte Yaw
The Summit League Sportsmanship Award is given annually to the institution that is judged by its peers to be the best in the league in living up to the ideals of sportsmanship. Areas for evaluation include studentathlete conduct, staff/administrator conduct, coaches’ conduct and event management.
Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple presents the Sportsmanship Award to South Dakota Director of Athletics David Herbster. 2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
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INSPIRING VISION
SANFORD COYOTE SPORTS CENTER OPENS From volleyball’s home opener against North Dakota in late August to men’s basketball’s win against South Dakota State in mid-February, the Sanford Coyote Sports Center opened to thunderous applause and resounding success. More than 65,000 fans visited the 118,000-square-feet facility during the course of USD athletic events, including 2,400 for volleyball’s opener and 5,200 for the dual with South Dakota State. The combined record for the Coyotes’ three programs – volleyball, women’s basketball and men’s basketball – was a remarkable 36-3. 32
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
But that’s just half the story. Surrounding the main competition court are two practice courts, a 7,500-squarefeet weight room with top-of-the-line equipment, a state-of-the-art sports medicine training room, and two club areas – one that overlooks the football field and another that leads out into the arena. There are offices for coaches, staff and administration, locker rooms for teams and officials, and a film room that doubles as a media work room for postgame press conferences.
Inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center lies the University of South Dakota’s Science, Health and Research Lab. The lab is a centralized location for occupational therapy, physical therapy, kinesiology and sport management. Each are equipped with classrooms, laboratories, and clinical spaces. First Bank & Trust Soccer Complex nets first goals Across University Street sits the Lillibridge Track Complex, which hosted the 2016 Summit League Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and the First Bank & Trust Soccer Complex, which saw freshman Amanda Carpio score in the final five minutes to give the Coyotes a 1-0 win against Idaho in USD’s inaugural game there on Aug. 19. South Dakota soccer went 4-0 at home against Summit foes on its new field, outscoring the four teams 9-2, and knocked off both North Dakota State and South Dakota State. In addition to the competition field, which features an astroturf playing surface, the Soccer Complex has a real grass practice field to the east and an 800-seat grandstand and press box to the west.
What’s Next Athletic Director David Herbster and University of South Dakota President James Abbott have begun discussions on renovating the west side of the DakotaDome. Specifically, they would like to begin phasing in a plan to repurpose the space vacated by the west gym, the Coyote Den, and the weight room. Initial discussions include construction of a new football locker room, along with adding meeting rooms, offices and addition support space. Permanent seating on the west side along with a concourse that allows for restrooms and concessions are also being discussed. “We will undergo a strategic planning process this year to create a vision and goals for the athletic department,” said Herbster. One other project in the works is installing artificial turf for outdoor football practices north of the DakotaDome in the space that used to house women’s soccer. Other projects, including refinishing the tennis courts, a new playing surface for softball, and starting blocks for swimming, are completed ready for the 2017-18 academic year.
Opening weekend at the First Bank & Trust Soccer Complex
Opening night at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center
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HOWLING PACK
INSPIRING VISION
OUR MISSION The mission of the Howling Pack is to promote and financially support the University of South Dakota athletic department and all of the individual athletic teams while encouraging the development of the student-athlete. Each year the Howling Pack sponsors events to raise money, generate interest and engage alumni, fans and friends. Gifts by Howling Pack members support scholarships and provide all Coyote student-athletes the necessary resources to be successful academically and athletically. During the 2016-17 season, Howling Pack membership increased to 1,188 members who contributed $1.39 million.
HOWLING PACK BY THE NUMBERS $1,390,000 $1,189,582 $926,035
$479,474
$518,999
In the first six months of 2017, the Howling Pack has raised $1,100,584.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS The Howling Pack is overseen by a strong and knowledgeable board of directors that helps increase membership and promotes the mission of the Howling Pack. Board members are comprised of the alumni, business, and/or community leaders from across the state of South Dakota. Kim Burma Aaron Clayton Jim Clement Chris Daniel Dan Doyle Carla Ewald Scott Fiedler
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Tom Freiberg Thomas Holland Rusty Jensen Chris Knight Jennifer Kudera Michelle Maloney Jeff Nelson
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
Dan Radigan (President) Torrey Sundall Luke Tibbetts Erik VanLaecken David Zimbeck
SUPPORTING THE COYOTES ENDOWMENTS
As of December 31, 2016, the department of athletics held 50 endowments with a market value of $3,932,839. 1978 Championship Football Team Scholarship Jim Ahrendt Howling Pack Scholarship Ambur-Means Schoarship Bergman Family Scholarship Darrel E. Boyd Memorial Scholarship Dwane Clodfelter Scholarship Coyote Athletic Scholarship Jim & Clifton Daniels Scholarship Jack Doyle Scholarship Jim Dyer Business School/Basketball Scholarship The First National Bank in Sioux Falls Athletic Scholarship Dr. T. Frederick Anstett Memorial Track Scholarship Will & Carol Freeman Basketball Scholarship Miner Gleason Business Scholarship Jacque Gustafson Family Scholarship (2) Dennis Hagele Athletic Scholarship Richard D. Hagerty Scholarship James & Nini Hart Athletic Scholarship (2) Jim Harrenga Athletic Scholarship Vern & Joan Holter Track Scholarship John House Football Scholarship (3) Dave & Paula Hultgren Scholarship Larry & Tappy Hultgren Howling Pack Scholarship Carl B. “Rube” & Hazel Hoy Memorial Athletic Scholarship Scott & Lisa Jones Dan & Mary Jo Kelly Coyote Athletic Scholarship Roger L & Patricia A Kozak Intercollegiate Athletic Scholarship Mark C. Larson Golf Scholarship Dean Lee Memorial Scholarship
Dan H. and Marjorie E. Lennon Scholarship E. Don & Betty McCullough Aquatics Scholarship (2) Tim McFarland Memorial Scholarship Mark & Judith Meierhenry Howling Pack Scholarship James O’Connor Memorial Marge & Phil Odeen Athletic Scholarship Clifford G. Papik Athletic Scholarship James J. Rath Scholarship John Roost Family Foundation Athletic Scholarship (2) Sanford Behrens Scholarship Sanford Health Coyote Athletic Scholarship Sanford Health Frank Chamberlin Tennis Scholarship Sanford Health Miner Gleason Football Scholarship Sanford Health Merritt J. & Lois Hughes Scholarship Russel E. Sauvage Scholarship School of Business Storey Family Golf Scholarship Ryan Taylor Howling Pack Scholarship Thomas W. Taylor Memorial Scholarship Fred Tibbetts Classic Howling Pack Scholarship Fred Tibbetts Memorial Scholarship Robert E & John Van Why II Scholarship (2) June & Lyle Wagner Scholarship (4) Robert Wales Trust (3) David Walish Scholarship Williams-Anderson Award for Athletic Training Yankton Howling Pack Chapter
CALLING ALL COYOTES AUCTION RAISES $376,000 FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES The fourth annual Calling All Coyotes Auction held at the Sioux Falls Convention Center raised more than $376,000 which will help support the Howling Pack and South Dakota student-athletes. The night included silent and live auctions with auctioneer Wayne Haines, live music from Maiden Dixie featuring band member and Coyote basketball alum Jesse Becker, drinks, hors d’oeuvres and dinner. “We have supporters who truly understand the importance of our mission, and we are extremely thankful for each part they play in raising money
for scholarships,” said USD assistant AD for donor relations Erica Schilling. “We continue to raise the bar for this event and Coyote Nation has responded. Nights like this confirm that USD is a wonderful place to be a part of, and serves as a celebration for what our student-athletes have accomplished in the last year.” A Master’s Tournament golf package, four tickets to see Tim McGraw and Faith Hill in concert, a trip alongside the men’s basketball team to UCLA, and a 2016 WNIT replica ring were among the many items sold during the auction. The $376,000 raised was a record for the event, which has brought in more than $1.125 million in four years. 2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
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BUDGET
INSPIRING VISION
Division I-level coaching, staffing, scholarships, services and travel require a significant investment. USD athletics is committed to being careful stewards of the funds received from fans, corporate sponsors and donors. That support, as well as the funds received from the State of South Dakota and from the University, is critical to the continued success and integral to the future growth of Coyote athletics.
TOTAL ATHLETIC EXPENSES: 16,305,794 Debt Service: $2,119,451
Salaries & Benefits: $5,356,323
Scholarships: $4,265,253
SCHOLARSHIP COSTS
Other Expenses: $4,564,767
TOTAL ATHLETIC INCOME: 16,638,130 External Revenue: $6,993,000
Student Support: $1,678,500
University Support: $7,966,630
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2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
The 2016-17 season marked the inaugural year of USD offering cost of attendance to studentathletes which resulted in a 21 percent increase in scholarship cost. Contributions to The Howling Pack and The Great Expectations Scholarship Campaign are two ways USD keeps pace with the rising costs. Generous gifts to these two areas help fund more than 180 student-athlete scholarships.
2015-16 Tuition & Fees $10,578.50 Housing $5,781.30 Board $3,185.20 Books $800.00 Cost of Attendance n/a $20,345.00
2016-17 $10,908.00 $5,925.00 $3,449.00 $800.00 $3,600.00 $24,682
Increase 3.11% 2.49% 8.28% 0.0% --21.32%
Cost is based on 14 credits per semester for non-resident student living at Coyote Village.
COYOTE SPORTS PROPERTIES/LEARFIELD Major Partners The University of South Dakota partnered with prominent collegiate sports marketer Learfield to serve as its multimedia rights holder and exclusive athletics marketing partner beginning with the 2011-12 athletic season. Learfield established a locally-based entity known as “Coyote Sports Properties” to handle all related aspects of the multi-year rights partnership that went into effect July 1, 2011, and includes signage and sponsorship at all athletic venues, certain radio and television programming and management of the Coyote Sports Network, as well as corporate hospitality, print sponsorships, event marketing and advertising for GoYotes.com. For over 40 years, Learfield has been dedicated to representing collegiate institutions, conferences and associations. ABC Rentals Alkota Cleaning Systems, Inc. American Foods Group Anheuser-Busch / Conkling Dist. Avery Outdoor Bank of the West Barnes & Noble at USD Bierschbach Equipment Blaine’s Body Shop Brunick Furniture & Flooring Buffalo Wild Wings Café Brule CenturyLink Charlie’s CHS, Inc. Clay-Union Electric Coffee Cup Fuel Stop CorTrust Bank Curry Seed CW Suter Services Czeckers Sports Bar & Grill Dairy Queen Grill and Chill
Corporate Partners
Dakota PC Warehouse Dakota Realty DEKALB/Asgrow Downtown Screen Printing & Embroidery Farm Bureau - Haiden Smith Farm Credit Services of America First Bank and Trust First Dakota National Bank Fischer Rounds & Associates Fred Haar Co. Gage Brothers GEICO Grand Falls Casino/Golf Resort Herren-Schempp Building Supply HyVee - Vermillion Jolly Time Popcorn Little Italy’s Louie’s Cleaning & Disaster Restoration
Main Street Pub Marina Inn Conference Center Mark’s Machinery, Inc. McDonald’s - Vermillion Midcontinent Communications Midwest Ready Mix Mohr Designs Northland Ford Dealers Nygren’s True Value Hardware Old Lumber Company Bar & Grill Paulsen Midwest Landscaping Pedersen Machine Pepsi Pepsi-Cola of Siouxland POET POET - Hudson Polaris Prairie Inn Premier Bankcard / First Premier Bank
Premier Real Estate, LTD Print Source / Equalizer RDL REA Hybrids Rooster’s Harley Davidson Sanford SAPA Extrusions Schoeneman’s Building Materials Center Sedgwick Publishing Slumberland Furniture South Dakota Beef Industry Council South Dakota Corn Utilization Council State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company Sturdevant’s Auto Parts The Bluffs The Roadhouse Trail Ridge Senior Living Community
University Center U.S. Army ROTC USD Alumni Association USD Beacom School of Business USD Foundation USD Graduate School USD School of Education Vermillion ACE Hardware Vermillion Chamber Development Co. Wellmark BCBS
2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT
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Mission Statement The University of South Dakota is the comprehensive university within the South Dakota System of Higher Education. The University’s mission is to provide graduate and undergraduate programs in the liberal arts and sciences and in professional education; to promote excellence in teaching and learning; to support research, scholarly and creative activities; and to provide service to the State of South Dakota and the region. The University of South Dakota’s Intercollegiate Athletic Department, as an integral part of the University’s educational mission, is committed to cultivate academic and athletic excellence in our student-athletes. The following points serve as a roadmap on this path to excellence. • • • • • •
Academic Integrity and Leadership: Dedication to the principles of academic excellence, the encouragement of degree completion, the development of the whole person, and support in securing a productive place in society for all student-athletes. Athletic Achievement: Dedication to maximum athletic performance. Fiscal Integrity: Development and maintenance of comprehensive fiscal policies and practices to ensure control and accountability throughout the program. Governance: Compliance with Federal, State, University, NCAA, and conference regulations. Personal Development: Encourage all personnel and student-athletes toward personal and professional growth. Quality Support: Dedication to providing the finest staff, facilities, services, and equipment to ensure that all student-athletes have the opportunity to train and compete in a safe and supportive atmosphere.