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DWU Star Gets National Award

DWU Star Gets National Award

Photo: WNAX


One name is more synonymous with Dakota Wesleyan University women’s basketball than any other and now that name is enshrined in the NAIA Hall of Fame.

Former DWU star Randi (Morgan) Haines is a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame Class of 2015, it was announced Wednesday by the NAIA.

“This is an extremely high honor,” Haines said. “It is an honor that has to be shared with my teammates. Without the girls that I played with, I would not have been able to reach this achievement.”

Haines was joined in the 2015 class by Oklahoma City University men’s golfer Tyrone Van Aswegen, Olivet Nazarene University men’s track and field star Mark Hollis and Bethel College men’s basketball player Rico Swanson. Vanguard University tennis coach Mattias Johansson was also inducted.

Haines holds numerous records at DWU, including most points scored. She racked up 2,557 points in her career, by far the most of any Tiger and the second most by any women’s college basketball player at any school in South Dakota. She is also the state and school leader in rebounds with 1,544.

“Randi is one of the most decorated basketball players in the history of DWU, South Dakota and the NAIA,” DWU Athletic Director Curt Hart said. “This is a very deserving honor and DWU couldn’t be more proud and happy for her.”

She garnered numerous individual accomplishments at DWU. Haines was named an NAIA All-American three times, twice on the first team and once on the third team. She was four-time member of the All-GPAC First Team and was named the NAIA Player-of-the-Year in 2002.

Haines was the cornerstone of the 2001-02 DWU team that went 32-6 overall – including wins over the University of South Dakota, Augustana College and Northern State University – and 14-2 in the GPAC, winning the conference. The 2001-02 team finished third at the NAIA National Tournament, while the Tigers took second the next year. The DWU Hall of Fame inducted Haines in 2009-10.

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