From PlayNorthStar.com
VALLEY CITY, N.D. (PlayNorthStar.com) – Roger Ternes, North Star Athletic Association commissioner, announced its annual award winners for the 2021-22 academic season Wednesday. The NSAA announced the Athletic Trainer, Sports Information Director, Faculty Athletic Representative, and Athletic Director of the Year awards.
Below are the following awards from the North Star Athletic Association conference.
Athletic Trainer of the Year: Tim Kreidt – Dickinson State (N.D.)
Tim Kreidt completed his 20th year as Dickinson State (N.D.) head athletic trainer. He earned his bachelor’s degree in athletic training at the University of North Dakota and a master’s degree in sports management at St. Cloud State (Minn.).
On Jan. 19, 2019, as the Blue Hawk women’s basketball team was warming up for their game against Mayville State (N.D.), Kreidt did something every athletic trainer hopes they never have to do – save a life. A fan collapsed behind the scorer’s table, losing consciousness, and undergoing cardiac arrest. He began CPR with assistance from others while having to use an AED device until Emergency Medical Technicians arrived. The fan regained consciousness, was transported to the hospital, and lived due to Kreidt’s courageous and fast actions during the situation.
Kreidt was presented the DSU Blue Hawk Hero Award for his heroic actions.
Sports Information Director of the Year: All 8 NSAA institutions
The North Star Athletic Association Board of Athletic Directors (BOAD) unanimously approved the selection of all eight SID’s at member institutions for the 2021-22 NSAA SID of the Year award. The athletic directors acknowledged the outstanding work of their staff as they transitioned from DakStats to PrestoStats, utilizing multiple software platforms.
The hard work and long hours required to make a smooth changeover did not go unnoticed.
The NSAA SID of the Year award includes Steve Field of Bellevue (Neb.), Nick Huntimer of Dakota State (S.D.), Jason Watson of Dickinson State (N.D.), Jared Meiklejohn of Mayville State (N.D.), Robert Papazian of Presentation (S.D.), Mark Potts of Valley City State (N.D.), Emily Simonson of Viterbo (Wis.), and John Cabral of Waldorf (Iowa).
Faculty Athletic Representative of the Year: Dr. Erin McDonnell-Jones – Bellevue (Neb.)
McDonnell-Jones had been the Faculty Athletic Representative since 2018 for Bellevue (Neb.). She is an Associate Professor of Teacher Education at Bellevue University since 2017.
Prior to Bellevue, McDonnell-Jones was a secondary English teacher and basketball and soccer coach on the east coast. She previously served as the FARA Secretary and President and was a member of the Learning Disability Advisory Committee. She is currently the CFAR Vice-Chair and serving on the Constitution and Bylaws Committee for the NAIA.
Athletic Director of the Year: Barry Fried – Viterbo (Wis.)
Fried has served as the Athletics Director at Viterbo (Wis.) in 1999. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and his Masters of Science degree in Sports Administration from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
“It’s a certainly an honor to be recognized by your peers,” said Fried. “But ultimately this is a team award that I accept on behalf of our Viterbo coaches, support staff, and student-athletes.”
Viterbo had 100 NSAA Scholar-Athletes, 69 NAIA Scholar-Athletes, and the athletic department maintained an overall grade point average of 3.14 during the 2021-22 season. The V-Hawks had the most All-America athletes in a single season in school history with 14.
VU’s women’s volleyball team qualified for the NAIA national tournament, while the men’s basketball team shared the league regular-season title in 2021-22 academic year. In addition, the Viterbo’s competitive dance team placed sixth at the NAIA Nationals.
The Viterbo’s athletic department had logged in more than 2,850 hours of community service hours. The institution also was named to the NAIA Champions of Character Institution – Silver Level.
NSAA Board of Student Athletes (BOSA) Cup Award
The BOSA Cup is awarded to the institution whose SAAC reports and earns the most points from different campus or BOSA-related activities throughout the year. There are several categories that campus SAAC’s are able to earn points through, such as BOSA initiatives, SAAC campus events, or team community service.
This year’s overall winner was Presentation (S.D.) with 21,650 points.
The North Star conference also have a secondary level or awards, which is called the BOSA Cup Platinum Level. This is awarded to any institution reaches the 5,000-point mark. This year’s Platinum winners are Mayville State (N.D.) with 18,950 points, Valley City State (N.D.) with 12,063 points, Dakota State (S.D.) with 7,600 points, Waldorf (Iowa) with 6,550 points, and Viterbo (Wis.) with 5,450 points.
Nick Huntimer, North Star Athletic Association Sports Information Director