Index of Sports Press Releases

March 16, 2010

Five Tiger women’s basketball players named NAIA Scholar-Athletes

MITCHELL, S.D. – Things didn’t go exactly as expected on the court for the Dakota Wesleyan University women’s basketball team in 2009-10, but the Tigers had their best year ever in the classroom, which was evidenced late Monday when the 2010 Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athletes were announced for women’s basketball.

Emily Bastian

Allison Johnson

Angela Noteboom

Kenzie Dvoracek

Ellie Peterson

DWU had five players honored as Scholar-Athletes, which is the most ever for the Tiger women’s basketball program. Previously, the team had four Scholar-Athletes in 2000, 2004 and 2007, but this is the first time this many DWU players have earned the prestigious academic award. To qualify, a player must be a junior or senior in good academic standing, must have been at the nominating institution for at least one year, and must have a grade point average of 3.5 or better on a 4.0 scale.

The five Tigers who were honored are seniors Emily Bastian, Allison Johnson and Angela Noteboom and juniors Kenzie Dvoracek and Ellie Peterson. This is the second-straight women’s basketball Scholar-Athlete honor for Bastian, Johnson and Noteboom, and the first for Dvoracek and Peterson.

DWU’s three senior Scholar-Athletes are the seventh, eighth and ninth players in Tiger history to earn the distinction more than once in their careers. Bastian, a senior from Henry, S.D., will graduate this spring with a degree in elementary education. Johnson, also an All-GPAC Second Team selection from Mount Vernon, S.D., will graduate with a degree in athletic training. Noteboom, a native of Corsica, S.D., has already completed her Bachelor’s degree in nursing.

Dvoracek is a first-time Scholar-Athlete from Springfield, S.D. She is majoring in athletic training. This also the first women’s basketball Scholar-Athlete honor for Peterson, and her second overall. She was also honored as a women’s soccer Scholar-Athlete last fall. Peterson is a Fort Collins, Colo., native and a criminal justice major.

In all, Dakota Wesleyan has had 22 women’s basketball Scholar-Athletes dating back to the 1994-95 season. This season, the NAIA recognized 177 Division II women’s basketball players as Scholar-Athletes. Dakota Wesleyan was one of nine schools to have at least five players earn Scholar-Athlete honors in 2010. GPAC rival Dana College led NAIA DII with seven Scholar-Athletes, Valley City State University (N.D.) and Black Hills State University (S.D.) each had six and DWU was among six schools with five honorees apiece.

The complete list can be found online at: http://naia.cstv.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/naia/sports/w-baskbl-div2/auto_pdf/DIIWBBDaktronics-NAIASA.