SDSU’s Taylor, Shallberg and USD’s Gorham Earn Weekly #SummitSD Awards

2/9/2016 12:00:00 AM

ELMHURST, Ill. – South Dakota State's Donovan Taylor was named Summit League Men's Swimmer of the Week while South Dakota's Julia Gorham and South Dakota State's McKenna Shallberg earned Women's Swimmers of the Week award for their performances during the week of Feb. 1-7.

DONOVAN TAYLOR, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Jr. // Fort Frances, Ontario

Named Summit League Swimmer of the Week for the first time in his career
Posted two first-place finishes and three season-best times at the Minnesota Challenge
Finished first in a field of 60 competitors in the 200 IM with a time of 1:54.60
Won the 200 Fly with a time of 1:54.77 and placed fourth in the 400 IM (4:14.27)

Also nominated: Chris Neaveill, Western Illinois

Previous honorees: Oct. 13 – Hunter Padgett, South Dakota; Oct. 20 – Wyatt Rumrill, South Dakota State; Oct. 27 – Ray Bornman, Denver; Nov. 3 – Lennart Kuester, IUPUI; Nov. 10 – Dylan Bunch, Denver; Nov. 17 – Ben Bolinske, South Dakota State; Nov. 24 – Jon Stoller, IUPUI; Dec. 8 – Kyle Robrock, Denver; Jan. 12 – Anton Loncar, Denver; Jan. 19 – Dylan Bunch, Denver; Jan. 26 – Ben Bolinske, South Dakota State; Feb. 2 – Kyle Robrock, Denver

JULIA GORHAM, SOUTH DAKOTA
So. // Windsor, Colo.

Collected her first career Summit League Swimmer of the Week award
Recorded three top-four finishes at the Minnesota Challenge, including a victory in the 200 Fly
Won the 200 Fly in a season-best time of 2:10.16
Posted a season-best time of 4:41.59 in her third-place finish in the 400 IM

MCKENNA SHALLBERG, SOUTH DAKOTA STATE
Jr. // Fremont, Neb.

Named Summit League Swimmer of the Week for the first time in her career
Tallied three top-five finishes, including a 100 Back victory, at the Minnesota Challenge
Her season-best time of 58.33 in the 100 Back won the event in a field of 84 competitors
Recorded a season-best time and a third-place finish in the 100 Free (53.21)

Also nominated: Erica Hagen, Western Illinois

Previous honorees: Oct. 13 – Quinn Fawcett, South Dakota; Oct. 20 – Johanna Roas, Denver; Oct. 27 – Amanda Sanders, Denver; Nov. 3 – Morgan Stepp, Omaha; Nov. 10 – Johanna Roas, Denver; Nov. 17 – Kristin Erf, South Dakota State; Nov. 24 – Miranda Buha, IUPUI; Dec. 8 – Amanda Sanders, Denver; Jan. 12 – Maddie Myers, Denver; Jan. 19 – Maddie Myers, Denver; Jan. 26 – Morgan McCormick, Denver; Feb. 2 – Johanna Roas, Denver

ABOUT THE SUMMIT LEAGUE
In its fourth decade of Division I athletics, The Summit League offers 19 championship sports and has a combined enrollment of over 120,000 at nine institutions, including four located in top 60 U.S. metro populations and two land-grant universities. Member institutions include: Denver (University of Denver), Fort Wayne (Indiana University-Purdue University-Fort Wayne), IUPUI (Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis), North Dakota State University, Omaha (University of Nebraska Omaha), Oral Roberts University, the University of South Dakota, South Dakota State University and Western Illinois University. Previously known as the Mid-Continent Conference, The Summit League rebranded in 2007 and has since produced eight NCAA Champions along with over 75 Academic All-Americans, 65 All-America selections and numerous former student-athletes competing at the highest professional level. In 2014-15, The Summit League ranked first for NCAA Graduation Success Rate in women's basketball and second in baseball. For more information about the league and to "See The Summit", visit the newly re-designed www.thesummitleague.org website, follow Summit League Basketball on Twitter @summithoops and watch the weekly "Inside The Summit League" show at www.thesummitleague.org/itsl.

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