A trio of University of South Dakota athletes have earned awards from the Summit League in a pair of sports.
South Dakota freshmen Chris Nilsen and Samara Spencer have been named the Summit League Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Week as released by the league office Tuesday.
Hailing from Spanish Town, Jamaica, Spencer captures her first career Athlete of the Week honor after winning a pair of jumps at the Hawkeye Challenge. Spencer broke a 19-year-old school record in the long jump by more than a foot with a leap of 21 feet, 1 ¼ inches. Spencer’s mark ranks fifth in the nation. She also won the triple jump in 40-7 ¾, which ranks 28th nationally. Both marks sit atop Summit standings.
Nilsen won the pole vault at the Hawkeye Challenge for his first Athlete of the Week award. The Kansas City, Mo., native cleared 17-10 ½ which tops the Summit and ties for fourth in the nation. Nilsen’s mark also sets a new program record by six inches.
South Dakota senior Greysen Hertting has been named the Summit League Women’s Diver of the Week as released by the league office Tuesday.
A native of Appleton, Wis., Hertting earns the awards for the fourth time this season and extends her league record by being named the Summit League Diver of the Week for the 29th time in her career.
Hertting swept both dives against North Dakota Friday and South Dakota State Saturday. In the dual verses North Dakota, Hertting won the one-meter with a score of 273.30 points and then took the three-meter title with 312.95 points. Against South Dakota State, Hertting continued her winning ways as she claimed the one- and three-meter dives with scores of 290.35 and 302.20, respectively. She ranks first in the Summit League this year on the one-meter (290.35) and the three-meter (315.30).
