SIOUX FALLS – South Dakota State had five Jackrabbits named to The Summit League’s Indoor Track and Field Academic All-League teams Wednesday.

For the men, three honored this year was the second-most in the league and SDSU was one of three schools represented on the list. The Jacks have had at least three academic all-leaguers for four consecutive years (2016 – four, 2017 – three, 2018 – three).

For the women, two accolade-winners is tied for the second-most in the league and one of only three teams with multiple student-athletes represented on the list of 14. The Jackrabbits have held multiple spots on the list in five out of the six years the academic all-league existed (2013 – two, 2014 – two, 2015 – two, 2016 – two, 2017 – two, 2018 – one).

Leading the Jackrabbits during the indoor season were senior Kyle Burdick and Rachel King. Burdick, earning his second indoor all-league honor (2017) and sixth overall (2017, 2018 cross country, 2017, 2018 outdoor), lead the Jackrabbits in the indoor championships by scoring 30 individual points from three event-wins en route to his first career indoor track championship MVP.

King, a recent NCAA postgraduate scholarship recipient (the first woman to receive the scholarship since 2014) and three-time indoor academic all-league honoree (2017, 2018), earned her seventh overall academic team accolade (2016, 2017, 2018 cross country, 2017, 2018 indoor, 2018 outdoor). She scored 20 points from two event-wins in the 2019 indoor championships.

Senior Rachel Propst, along with junior duo Sam Zenner and Wyatt Gatrost, were named to their first academic all-league teams.

Propst has maintained a 4.00 cumulative grade-point average throughout her Jackrabbit career. In the indoor championships, she was a member of the come-from-behind win in the distance medley for the Jacks, winning the team’s third-ever medley and first since 2016.

Zenner is coming off his best indoor championship performance of his career and for a SDSU student-athlete in the sprints. With him winning the 60- and 200-meter dashes, he was the first Jackrabbit to win either one of those events – adding a championship record in the 200-meter dash and earning the championship most outstanding performer.

Gatrost won his first indoor 800-meter run and helped secure the team’s first victory in the indoor championships. It was his second overall championship winning the event, tying for the victory in the outdoor 800, and gathered his second indoor all-league accolade.

ACADEMIC ALL-LEAGUE INFORMATION

To be eligible for the Academic All-League team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.30 (on a 4.0 scale), completed at least one full academic year at the current institution and participated in 50 percent of their team’s competitions.

Nominations are brought forth by sports information directors from the league’s eight institutions that carry track and field, and voting is conducted by both the SIDs and facility athletic representatives (FARs). Each team is made up of the 10 student-athletes receiving the most votes with all ties standing.