University of South Dakota Athletics

A two-sport standout, Collins, originally of Rock Island, Ill., was a starting shooting guard for four years and one of the best high jumpers in NCAA Division II while attending South Dakota. Collins won the NCAA Division II indoor high jump title in 1990, becoming USD's first-ever national champion. At that 1990 NCAA Division II indoor meet held at the DakotaDome, Collins earned All-American status by going 7'1 ½ and becoming the first USD high jumper to crack the 7-foot barrier. The mark broke his own all-time state collegiate record of 7'1 set at the USD Open in the first meet of the 1989-90 season. His performance helped USD finish ninth in the team competition. Collins also won two indoor NCC titles in high jump, capturing the 1986 indoor and outdoor title (6'11 1/2), and winning the indoor title as well. He also captured the NCC indoor 1990 title (6'11 ½) He also finished second in the 1988 outdoor meet (6'10 ½). During his basketball career, Collins was named team MVP as a junior, scoring 1,306 points, which ranks 11th all-time at South Dakota. He scored 426 points in 1986-87, when he averaged 15.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. At USD, he started 62 games and played in 116. His 85 three-pointers ranks 16th all-time at USD. Collins, who earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration degree in 1990, lives in Lincoln, Neb.