May 18, 2001

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - A total of 20 outstanding female and male student athletes have been selected as the honor athletes for the North Central Conference, according to an announcement today by the league office. The list includes South Dakota senior standouts Sara Deckert (track and field) and Jeremy Kudera (basketball).

Each school selected its top student-athlete on the basis of academic performance, athletic ability and performance and leadership in campus and community activities. In addition, each student-athlete must have graduated this spring or be within 12 credit hours of graduation. Members of this select group are now the finalists for the Stan Marshall Award to be announced by the NCC office on May 30.

The honored female student-athletes with the schools they represent are: Melissa Clay, Minnesota State, Mankato, Sara Deckert, South Dakota, Rose Ebnet, South Dakota State, Jennifer Higgins, St. Cloud State, Jenny Hill, Augustana, Suzanne Larsen, Nebraska-Omaha, Becky Leppard, North Dakota, Cecilia Rubeling, Northern Colorado, Allison Westergaard, Morningside, Michelle Wiest, North Dakota State.

The honored male student-athletes with the schools they represent are: Scott Antoniak, Nebraska-Omaha, Todd Bishop, St. Cloud State, Eric DeGraff, Augustana, Marshall Hahn, Northern Colorado, Paul Konechne, South Dakota State, Jeremy Kudera, South Dakota, Dave Miriovsky, Morningside, Dewey Reilly, Minnesota State, Mankato, Ryan Requist, North Dakota, Steve Saxlund, North Dakota State.

Deckert, a native of Doland, S.D., is a four-time All-American in track and field and winner of eight NCC titles. Named the most valuable athlete at the NCC Indoor Track and Field Championships in February, she is one of seven USD women's track and field athletes named to the USCTA All-Academic team in 2000. During a standout career in track and field at USD, Deckert has three top-five finishes at the NCAA Division II Track and Field Championships and is one of South Dakota's 11 individual national champions in track and field. She won the 400-meters in a school record 54.65 at the indoor nationals in March in Boston, Mass. In addition, Deckert finished fourth in the 100-meter dash (11.93) and second in the 200-meter dash (23.72) at the 2000 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Deckert holds South Dakota's 200-meter (23.72) and 400 meter (54.65) records. At the NCC Indoor Championships, Deckert won her second straight 200 meter title, first 400 meter title and finished second in the 55 hurdles. In addition, she has participated with the USD Track and Field team in hosting Special Olympic camps at USD and in Sioux Falls. Her future plans are to enroll in USD's Master of Business Administration program with a management information system emphasis. She has a 3.598 GPA in business management and marketing.

Kudera, originally of Dell Rapids, S.D., was named an academic all-American for the second straight year. This spring, Kudera was named to first team on the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-American squad. Kudera, a 2001 Daktronics Division II All-North Central Region men's basketball team selection, has been named to the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District VII squad three straight seasons and he is a three-time all-NCC first team selection. He also has been named three straight years to the academic all-NCC squad. A NCC Player of the Week (Feb. 5, 2001), Kudera averaged 14.2 points and 7.6 rebounds per game in 2000-2001. He finished third in NCAA Division II in free throw shooting (92.9%), as well as first in free throw shooting (92.9%) and defensive rebounds (6.04 rpg), second in three-point field goals (2.79 pg), and fourth in rebounding (7.6 rpg) in the NCC. Kudera scored in double figures 20 times in 2001 and 75 times in his career. He has career high points of 26 and 18 rebounds. Kudera finished on the USD charts in the following categories: third in three-point field goals made (229), and ninth in rebounds (705) and points (1352), while holding the 4th and 5th best single season totals for three-point field goals made. He has helped with the Junior Coyotes program as well as the "Dream to Read" program at Vermillion Elementary School, where athletes read to children in kindergarten through fifth grade. Kudera, who has a 3.97 grade point average in pre-medicine, has a career objective of practicing medicine in a Midwestern community.