RAPID CITY, SD (July 1, 2025) – Ten standout student-athletes from South Dakota Mines track and field have been named to the 2025 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team, a prestigious recognition celebrating excellence both in competition and in the classroom.
The honors were evenly split, with five men and five women earning a spot on the list for their impressive achievements on the track, in the field, and through their academic performance.
The five Hardrocker men include: Cooper Stevens, a sophomore physics major from Gillette, Wyo., Isaiah Thurman, senior chemical engineering major from Arvada, Colo., Aidan Thompson, senior metallurgical engineering major from Deer Lodge, Mont., Zachary Vanicek, sophomore mechanical engineering major from Omaha, Neb., and Merek Ranstrom, mechanical engineering major from Fort Collins, Colo.
The five Hardrocker women include: Allyson Heiden, senior electrical engineering major from Plymouth, Minn., Adisyn Schenck, junior chemical engineering major from Horace, N.D., Abbie Saline, civil engineering graduate student from Highlands Ranch, Colo., Laine Mannes, junior biology major from Sioux Falls, S.D., and Clare Fischer, junior civil and environmental engineering major from New Ulm, Minn.
To qualify athletically for CSC Academic honors, eligible nominees are based on TFRRS regional performance rankings at the time of nomination. Criteria for Academic All-District selection require a 3.5 GPA and a top 50 regional ranking in any competitive indoor or outdoor event.
MEDIA CONTACT
Michelle Pawelski
Communications Manager
Marketing and Communications
Michelle.pawelski@sdsmt.edu
605-394-6082
About South Dakota Mines
Founded in 1885, South Dakota Mines is one of the nation's leading engineering, science and technology universities. South Dakota Mines offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees and a best-in-class education at an affordable price. The university enrolls 2,579 students with an average class size of 24. The South Dakota Mines placement rate for graduates is 97 percent, with an average starting salary of $77,067. For these reasons, South Dakota Mines is ranked among the best engineering schools in the country for return on investment. Find us online at www.sdsmt.edu and on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Snapchat.
About South Dakota Mines Athletics
South Dakota Mines is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 13 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The RMAC is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah.
