VERMILLION, S.D.—The University of South Dakota had 21 athletes named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District teams in the six spring sports that competed in 2022-23.
The Coyotes saw five women's track and field athletes, five men's track and field athletes, one women's tennis player, three men's golfers, two women's golfers and five softball players honored as CSC Academic All-District selections.
A brief rundown of the recipients follows:
Gen Hirata | Women's Track & Field | Fredericksburg, Virginia
Hirata maintains a 3.94 grade-point average as a media and journalism major. She garnered All-America honors in the pole vault at the NCAA Indoor Championships with an eighth-place finish (14-3 ¼) and will make a return trip to the NCAA Outdoor Championships next weekend. Hirata captured the Summit League title outdoors and finished runner-up indoors. She was a member of the Coyotes' No. 1 pole vault squad. Hirata cleared a personal best 14-7 ¼ (4.45m) at the Mt. SAC Relays this spring, which ranks fifth in the nation.
Abrielle Jirele | Women's Track & Field | Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Jirele boasts a 4.00 grade-point average as a communication sciences and disorders major. She was the Summit League Indoor Track Championship MVP, scoring 21 points at the championship meet. She finished runner-up in the mile and 5,000 meters, while also taking fourth in the 3,000 meters. During the indoor season, she broke USD's school records in both the mile (4:44.47) and 3,000 meters (9:30.48). Jirele was also the Coyotes' top cross country runner in the fall.
Erin Kinney | Women's Track & Field | Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Kinney carries a 3.90 grade-point average as a kinesiology and sport management major. She's racked up awards this year, earning the Summit League's Indoor Most Outstanding Championship Performer and the Summit League Outdoor Track Championship MVP. Kinney captured six gold medals between the two championships, winning the indoor 60 meters (7.27), indoor 200 meters (23.96), outdoor 100 meters (11.34), outdoor 200 meters (23.35), outdoor 4x100-meter relay and outdoor 4x400-meter relay. She broke championship meet records in the 60 meters, 100 meters and 4x400 relay. Kinney also qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in three events – the 100 meters, 200 meters and 4x100 relay.
Marleen Mülla | Women's Track & Field | Rakvere, Estonia
Mülla boasts a 4.00 grade-point average as a sport marketing and media major. She garnered All-America honors in the pole vault indoors with a third-place finish in 14-7 ¼ (4.45m) and is set to return to the NCAA Outdoor Championships next week. Mülla vaulted a nation-leading height of 14-11 (4.55m) during the indoor season, breaking the Summit League Championships meet record with the winning height. She also finished runner-up at the Summit meet outdoors. She ranks fourth nationally outdoors with a height of 14-8 ¾ (4.49m) from the USD Tune-Up, leading the Coyotes' No. 1 pole vault squad.
Jacy Pulse | Women's Track & Field | Salem, South Dakota
Pulse maintains a 3.95 grade-point average as a nursing major. She qualified for the NCAA Outdoor Championships in the 400-meter hurdles over the weekend, clocking a school record time of 56.11 seconds. Her time ranks 12th in the country this spring. Pulse won five golds between the two Summit League Championship meets. She captured the indoor 400 meters (54.48), the indoor 4x400 relay, the outdoor 400 hurdles (58.46), outdoor 4x100 relay and outdoor 4x400 relay. She anchored both 4x400 relays to victory, coming from behind to take the lead down the home stretch twice in 2023. She scored 23 points for the Coyotes at the Summit League Championships outdoors.
Charlie Babcock | Men's Track & Field | Forest Lake, Minnesota
Babcock boasts a perfect 4.00 graduate grade-point average while working on a master's of psychology. He also owns a 3.98 undergraduate GPA from his degree in medical biology. Babcock was the Coyotes' No. 2 runner in cross country, one of two runners to finish in USD's scoring five at all six meets. He placed seventh in the 10,000 meters at the Summit League Championships. Babcock clocked a personal best of 30:50.31 at the Drake Relays.
Marshall Faurot| Men's Track & Field | Scott City, Kansas
Faurot carries a 3.84 grade-point average as a kinesiology and sport management major. He swept Summit League pole vault titles indoors and outdoors. Faurot was voted the Summit League Most Outstanding Performer of the Championships during the outdoor season after clearing a personal best height of 18-0 ½ (5.50m). He qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in the pole vault.
Eerik Haamer | Men's Track & Field | Tartu, Estonia
Haamer owns a 3.73 grade-point average as a neuroscience major. He earned all-Summit League honors in the pole vault both indoors and outdoors, placing second at both meets. Haamer also qualified for the NCAA West Preliminary in the pole vault.
Dylan Kautz | Men's Track & Field | Norfolk, Nebraska
Kautz carries a 3.87 grade-point average as an accounting major. He was the Summit League Most Outstanding Performer of the Championships during the indoor season, sweeping the 60 meters (6.68) and the 200 meters (21.56) at the league meet. He also captured gold in the 100 meters (10.40) and 4x100-meter relay (39.94) at the Summit League Outdoor Championships. Kautz broke championship meet records in the preliminaries of the 60 meters (6.64) and in the 4x100 relay.
Hugo Morvan | Men's Track & Field | Vannes, France
Morvan boasts a 3.93 grade-point average as a computer science major. He captured a Summit League Championship title in the 110-meter hurdles with a personal best clocking of 13.79 seconds at the outdoor meet. He also earned all-Summit honors indoors in the 60-meter hurdles with a runner-up finish. Morvan was a qualifier for the NCAA West Preliminary in the 110 hurdles.
Bea Havlickova | Women's Tennis | Louny, Czech Republic
Havlickova carries a 3.73 grade-point average in kinesiology and sport management. She was USD's lone honoree on the 12-person all-Summit League team. The sophomore played No. 1 singles all season for the Coyotes, posting a 4-3 mark in Summit League play. Her 14 singles wins were tied for the team lead.
Ben Hicks | Men's Golf | Victoria, Minnesota
Hicks owns a 4.00 grade-point average after his first year as a graduate student in the kinesiology and sport management department. In his sixth year for the Coyotes, Hicks played in nine events and recorded a 75.16 stroke average. He posted a season-low round of 68 in the second round of the Duel at The Bluffs and a season-low 54-hole score of 217 at the Loyola Intercollegiate. Hicks' highest finish of the season came at the Western Illinois Invite where helped USD to second place with a tie for sixth place individually. He wrapped up his career in the top-10 for lowest career scoring average in program history with a 75.48 stroke average.
Ryan Neff | Men's Golf | Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Neff graduated with a 3.94 grade-point average in business from USD. He played in seven events his senior season with a 78.05 stroke average. He set a season-low tournament score of 226 at the Big O Classic and recorded a new personal-best round of 68 at the Duel at The Bluffs. Neff capped off his career with an individual crown at the Augustana Spring Invitational.
Max Schmidtke | Men's Golf | Sheboygan, Wisconsin
Schmidtke owns a 3.77 grade-point average in management. The senior was one of two Coyotes to compete in all 12 events for 34 rounds total. Schmidtke led the team with a 74.21 stroke average which is 10th-best in program history. He had five top-20 finishes on the season including a season-best sixth-place individual finish at the Grier Jones Shocker Invitational and his second consecutive top-15 placement at the Summit League Championship. Schmidtke tied his career-best round with a 68 and recorded the third-lowest 36-hole score in program history with a 138 at the Duel at The Bluffs.
Danica Badura| Women's Golf | Aurora, Nebraska
Badura maintains a 3.96 grade-point average in kinesiology and sport management. She recorded a 77 stroke average in her junior season. Badura helped South Dakota to a team title at the Ozark National Invitational and a runner-up finish at the Summit League Championship with a runner-up individual placement herself. She tied a career-low round with a 70 and a new career-best 54-hole score with a 213 at the Summit League Championship. Her new 54-hole best is also the second-lowest tournament score in program history.
Akari Hayashi | Women's Golf | Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Hayashi owns a 3.84 grade-point average in art in her third year at South Dakota. She was a first-team all-Summit selection after leading the team and finishing sixth in the Summit League with a career-best 74.97 stroke average. Hayashi's junior season included three top-10 finishes highlighted by a tie for first at the Ozark National Invitational in the fall finale. At that event, she tied a career-best round of 70 and set a new career-low 54-hole score with a 218. Hayashi closed out the season by helping the Coyotes to a runner-up team finish and a tie for ninth individually at the Summit League Championship.
Clara Edwards | Softball | Clay Center, Kansas
Edwards carries a 3.68 grade-point average as a health sciences major. She garnered all-Summit honors for the second-straight year and was named to the Summit League all-tournament team. Edwards won 15 games in the circle and had 17 hits in the batter's box.
Bela Goerke | Softball | Tucson, Arizona
Goerke posted 3.62 grade-point average as a pre-nursing major. She garnered all-Summit honorable mention accolades this season. She was one of the Coyotes' top hitters all season and defensively threw out three of eight runners trying to steal in Summit play with one pickoff.
Gabby Moser | Softball | Central City, Nebraska
Moser owns a 3.80 grade-point average as a biomedical engineering major. She's a two-time all-Summit League honoree and was picked to the Summit League all-tournament team. She hit .300 in Summit play with five extra-base hits.
Aleesia Sainz | Softball | Casa Grande, Arizona
Sainz carries a 3.60 grade-point average as a psychology major. She was the first Coyote to garner Summit League Player of the Year and garnered all-Summit honors for the second time. She led the Summit with a .420 average and a 1.236 OPS during Summit play.
Courtney Wilson | Softball | Grand Island, Nebraska
Wilson boasts a 4.00 grade-point average as an elementary education major. She was the inaugural Summit League Scholar of the Championship for softball. She also picked up all-Summit honors for the third time of her career and made the Summit's all-tournament team. Wilson finished with the fifth-best batting average in the league.
