GREENWOOD, Ind. – Fourteen Coyotes have been selected to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team. The CSC Academic All-District team recognizes student-athletes for their achievements both in the classroom and on the field.
 
These 14 student-athletes represent South Dakota across four winter sports. The CSC Academic All-District honorees include four women's basketball student-athletes, two men's basketball student-athletes, four men's swimming and diving student-athletes, and four women's swimming and diving student-athletes.
 
In order to be named to the all-district team, nominees must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or above, be a starter or important reserve, participate in at least 50 percent of the team's games/meets, and be at least a sophomore academically and athletically.
 
South Dakota's 14 recipients include:
 
Grace Larkins | Women's Basketball | Guard | Altoona, Iowa
 
Larkins boasts a 3.78 GPA while pursuing an undergraduate degree in marketing and is now a two-time CSC all-district honoree. She led the Coyotes in scoring, rebounding, and assists for the second-straight year and was named to the all-Summit first team. Larkins was one of four players in the nation averaging more than 16 points, seven rebounds, and five assists per game. She scored a career-high 34 points in South Dakota's WNIT win over Northern Arizona on March 26.
 
Kendall Holmes | Women's Basketball | Guard | Plainfield, Ill.
 
Holmes earns the CSC academic all-district honor for the first time in her career in her first season at South Dakota with a 3.91 GPA. A transfer from DePaul, Holmes became the first Coyote named to the Summit League's all-newcomer team since 2021. She was the Coyotes' second-leading scorer through the season at 11.4 points per game. Holmes scored a season-high 22 points in the win over Denver on Jan. 25, just one point shy of her career high.
 
Nicole Avila-Ambrosi | Women's Basketball | Guard | Omaha, Neb.
 
Senior Avila-Ambrosi holds a 3.94 GPA while working towards an undergraduate degree in medical biology. Avila-Ambrosi anchored the Coyotes on defense through the season, leading the team in blocked shots and ranking fourth in the Summit. The 5-8 guard had three blocks in a game twice this season.   
 
Carley Duffney | Women's Basketball | Forward | Green Bay, Wis.
 
Duffney maintains a 3.68 GPA and is working towards an undergraduate degree in sport marketing and media. She averaged 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists in 36 games played this season. The 5-10 forward scored a season-high 20 points in the Coyotes' final game of the season against Wyoming in the WNIT Super 16. Duffney joins the CSC academic all-district team for the first time in her career.
 
Paul Bruns | Men's Basketball | Guard | North Sioux City, S.D.
 
Bruns boasts a 3.68 GPA while working towards an undergraduate degree in finance. Bruns averaged 27.8 minutes per game in 32 appearances and 28 starts. He scored his 1,000^th career point against Omaha on Feb. 15, becoming the 33^rd Coyote to join the 1,000 point club. Bruns scored a season-high 26 points against San Diego on Dec. 21, just one point shy of his career high.
 
Max Burchill | Men's Basketball | Guard | Sioux Falls, S.D.
 
Burchill started all 32 games for the Coyotes this season and maintained a 3.71 GPA while working towards an undergraduate degree in marketing/finance. Burchill scored a career-high 18 points against Purdue Fort Wayne in the inaugural Arizona Tip-Off Tournament. He averaged 6.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game in 26.5 minutes per game.
 
Zachary Kopp | Men's Swimming and Diving | Free-Back | Ostego, Minn.
 
Kopp is one of the most accomplished male swimmers in Coyote history, winning eight Summit League titles and earning All-Summit League honors 24 times. He owns school records in the 50 free and 100 free along with four different relays. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in kinesiology and sport management and carries a 4.0 GPA. Kopp is a two-time member of the CSC academic all-district team.
 
Matthew Sorbe | Men's Swimming and Diving | Free-IM | Brookings, S.D.
 
Sorbe swam to four top 11 finishes at the Summit League Championships while also swimming on a fourth-place 800 free relay team. He placed fifth in the 1650 free, 10^th in the 500 free and 11^th in the 400 IM. The school record holder in the three distance freestyle events (500, 1000, 1650) is a pre-nursing major who carries a 4.0 GPA.
 
Aidan Gantenbein | Men's Swimming and Diving | Fly-Back | Valley Center, Kan.
 
Gantenbein carries a 3.98 grade point average as a kinesiology and sport management major. He posted three top 15 finishes in individual events at the Summit League Championships by placing eighth in the 100 back, eighth in the 100 fly and 15^th in the 200 back. Gantenbein is a two-time member of the CSC academic all-district team.
 
Caleb Swanson | Men's Swimming and Diving | Fly-IM | Mitchell, S.D.
 
Swanson owns a 4.0 grade point average as a double major in sustainability and political science/legal studies. He competed in three events at the Summit League Championships, the 200 IM, 100 fly and 200 fly. He is a student representative to USD's University Sustainability and Athletic Board of Control Committees and serves as the USD Environmental Club president. Swanson is a two-time member of the CSC academic all-district team.
 
Emily Kahn | Women's Swimming and Diving | Free-Fly | Denver, Colo.
 
Kahn was the Summit League Champion in five events, all-Summit in seven events, and holds school records in six of those seven events. She was a repeat champion in the 50 free and 100 free and holds the school record for both of those events. The junior holds a 3.77 GPA while pursuing an undergraduate degree in sustainability.
 
Stella Fairbanks | Women's Swimming and Diving | Diving | Highland, Mich.
 
Fairbanks carries a 3.91 grade point average as a health science major. The six-time All-Summit League selection was a four-time NCAA Zone Qualifier who won six individual competitions this season and had 14 top five finishes. Fairbanks is a two-time member of the CSC academic all-district team.
 
Christina Spomer | Women's Swimming and Diving | Free-Fly | Omaha, Neb.
 
Spomer boasts a 4.0 grade point average as an elementary special education major. The junior earned All-Summit League honors as a member of a title winning 200 free relay that set the school record. She placed in the top 15 in her three individual events at the Summit League Championships. Spomer is a two-time member of the CSC academic all-district team.
 
Skyler Leverenz | Women's Swimming and Diving | Free-IM | Lakeville, Minn.
 
Leverenz earned All-Summit League honors in three events as a member of title-winning 200 free and 400 free relays as well as a runner-up 800 free relay. Placed eighth in the 200 free, 10^th in the 100 free and 13^th in the 50 free at the league championships. The 4.0 student is a communication studies major.