South Dakota State University women's basketball standout Jennifer Warkenthien has been named Summit League Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year, league officials announced Wednesday.
In receiving the league's most prestigious student-athlete award, Warkenthien compiled a 3.901 GPA as an early childhood education major with a minor in elementary education during her four-year career at SDSU.

Northern State University’s Brent Pollari has been promoted to the position of Associate Head Coach with the women’s basketball program. Pollari had spent the previous two years as an assistant coach and enters his fifth season overall with the Wolves after serving as a graduate assistant with the program from 2004-2006.

University of South Dakota graduate Derek Miles qualified for the 2009 World Outdoor Track and Field Championships Saturday with a second-place finish in the pole vault at the 2009 USA Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, Ore.
Miles, a 1996 USD graduate and two-time U.S. Olympian, finished in a tie for second with Jeremy Scott in the event after clearing a height of 5.75 (18-10 1/4).

University of Sioux Falls baseball coach Matt Guiliano is pleased to announce the newest members of the Cougars' 2010 recruiting class, a group that includes five pitchers, two infielders, and a pair of utility players.
Aaron Reule (Rapid City, SD) is one of two guys that will act strictly as pitchers and hope to provide depth to the starting rotation.

In the past year Northern State men's basketball coach Don Meyer has become a model of perserverance. Thursday we learned that Meyer will be honored for that with the "Jimmy V. Award" during ESPN's annual ESPY awards. But the legendary coach says the praise belongs to those around him.
The fall of 2008 was an especially trying time in the life of Northern State's Don Meyer.

University of Sioux Falls All-American defensive back Trevor Holleman (New Holland, S.D.) has been named the 2009 recipient of the prestigious A.O. Duer Award, as announced by the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) office.
The award annually recognizes the junior male and female student athlete in any spot who has excelled in character, playing ability and scholarship.

The University of South Dakota has accepted an invitation to join The Summit League as an associate member in the sport of men’s and women’s swimming and diving, Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple and the President’s Council announced. USD will begin competing in The Summit League’s swimming and diving program in 2009-10, culminating in an appearance at the 2010 Summit League Swimming and Diving Championships in Indianapolis, Ind.

For the second straight year, a South Dakotan is receiving an ESPY Award.
Northern State University announced today that men's basketball coach Don Meyer will receive the Jimmy V Perseverance Award during ESPN's annual award show next month.

The Jimmy V Award for Perseverance is presented to a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through physical determination and perseverance.

The University of South Dakota athletic department has announced that Jill Theeler has been named Associate Athletic Director and Lucky Huber, head women’s track and field coach, will become a full-time employee in the Coyote athletic department and assume additional duties.
Theeler previously held the title of Assistant Athletic Director along with serving as the Compliance Officer and Senior Woman Administrator.

The University of Sioux Falls announced the hiring of new sports information director Matthew Stull. Stull comes to USF after a year as a sports information intern at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton.
As a member of the Owl staff, he served as the primary media contact for golf, men’s soccer and swimming while also assisting with football and men’s and women’s basketball.

South Dakota State University President Dr. David L. Chicoine was appointed Vice Chair of The Summit League’s President’s Council during its annual meeting this week. Chicoine begins his two-year post on July 1.
Dr. Chicoine will serve with President’s Council chair Dr. Michael Benson, President of Southern Utah University on the Executive Committee of the League.

The Summit League Basketball Tournaments will remain in Sioux Falls through 2012. The conference's Council of Presidents needed only about a half hour to make that decision Monday. But what they talked about after that could have a much greater and longer impact.
Deciding where to play the 2011 and 2012 Summit League Basketball Tournaments was only the first part of Monday's Council of Presidents meeting. 

"And we spent quite a bit of time looking forward, beyond even the two years for this bid," said SDSU president David Chicoine, who added that the conference is taking a serious look at keeping the tournament in a single city long-term. 

"There seems to be an evolving pattern where leagues are located within a community and they stay there for a period of time," Chicoine said.

Presidents of the Dakota Athletic Conference have decided Minot State University can compete for postseason tournaments and awards while it's exploring a jump from the NAIA to NCAA Division II.
Athletic directors had recommended that any school being considered for membership in another league outside the NAIA be required to forfeit its eligibility for titles and awards.

Sioux Falls, S.D., will host The Summit League Basketball Tournament for an additional two seasons beyond its present two year agreement that expires following the 2010 event. Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple announced today that the league’s men’s and women’s championships will be played at Sioux Falls Arena in 2011 and 2012.

Following months of fundraising, Augustana College President Rob Oliver and Athletic Director Bill Gross today announced that construction of the Huether Tennis Centre will begin July 6.
The Huether Tennis Centre will be built on the site of the College’s current tennis facility located east of Grange Avenue between 31st and 33rd Streets.

Northwestern College Athletic Director Barry Brandt has announced that Stephanie Kuhl has been hired as the new head softball coach. She takes over for Dave Hulsart, who was interim head coach in 2009 after serving as an assistant the year before. Hulsart will remain on the coaching staff as an assistant.

University of Sioux Falls head men’s basketball coach Chris Johnson is pleased to announce the signing of Ronnell Grant, a 6-foot, 195-pound combo guard from McCook Community College in McCook, Neb.
Grant is a native of Tucson, Ariz., and was a high school and junior college teammate of cougar signee De’Shawn Howard.

High school standout Cameron McCaffrey of Portland, Ore., has signed a national letter of intent to attend Augustana College and play for the men’s basketball team, Viking head coach Tom Billeter announced today.
McCaffrey is a 6-2 point guard who lettered four times and started for three seasons at Century High School.

South Dakota State University Director of Athletics Justin Sell announced Monday that Ritchie Price will return as head baseball coach next season.
“Ritchie did a great job last season with a tough schedule and under some difficult circumstances,” Sell said. “This decision is in the best interest of our student-athletes.

The postseason awards continue to roll in for South Dakota State University golfer Trent Peterson, who recently was named to the 25-member PING All-Central Region Team.
The Summit League Men's Golfer of the Year, Peterson carded a school-record and league-best 72.5 scoring average over 32 rounds during the 2008-09 season and posted eight top-10 individual finishes.