#ReliveTheSummit: Spring Championships Edition

Enjoy this look back at several of the league's top team and individual accomplishments from the 2020-21 athletic year with the final installment of our three-part #ReliveTheSummit series that will run from July 6-8.

Men’s Tennis - March 3

Denver rises to 33rd in national Oracle ITA rankings

The Denver men’s tennis team rose one spot to 33rd in the latest Oracle ITA Division I rankings, the Crimson & Gold’s highest mark since the team was ranked 25th in 2010. 

Women’s Tennis - March 3

Denver enters national rankings at No. 46

The Denver women’s tennis team entered the national rankings in early March, owning the No. 46 spot in the Oracle ITA Rankings after opening the season with a 6-3 record. To help propel the Pioneers to a national ranking, they defeated a pair of Power Five opponents through the first half of the season with a 5-2 win at Kansas and a 4-3 win vs. Colorado.

Women’s Tennis - March 30

Denver women’s tennis sees three in ITA rankings

The University of Denver women’s tennis program appeared in both the ITA Singles and Doubles rankings that were released on March 30. In singles, Anna Riedmiller ranked 116th, posting a 9-1 record. Camille Verden Anderson and Britt Pursell were the 59th ranked doubles tandem in the country with their 6-1 record heading into that week’s competition.

Track & Field - April 10

South Dakota’s Anderson qualifies for Olympic Trials

South Dakota senior Zack Anderson cleared the Olympic Trials qualifying height to win the high jump at the South Dakota Challenge at Lillibridge Track Complex and Gottsleben Field. At the time, Anderson tied the NCAA lead by clearing 7-5 (2.26m) on his first attempt. The winning height was a personal best for Anderson and extended his school and facility record.

Women’s Golf - April 26

South Dakota State’s Toscano earned five individual tournament titles during senior campaign

South Dakota State senior Teresa Toscano won five individual tournaments during the 2020-21 campaign, including The Summit League Championship in late April. She won that event by two strokes to earn Championship MVP honors and also captured medalist honors at the Jackrabbit Invitational, the Pizza Hut Lady Thunderbird Invitational, the Bama Beach Bash and the Stampede at the Creek. Toscano posted top-20 finishes in all eight events she competed in and was inside the top 10 in seven of those as she finished with the league’s top stroke average of 72.60.

Softball - April 24 and April 30

South Dakota State’s Tori Kniesche throws two no-hitters in less than a week

South Dakota State Pitcher of the Year Tori Kniesche threw a pair of five-inning no-hitters in the span of a week – April 24 vs. South Dakota and April 30 against Creighton. Against the Coyotes, Kniesche struck out 11 batters and walked one and against the Blue Jays, she struck out 10 batters and walked one.

Men’s Golf - May 1-3

Oral Roberts’ Howes claims Championship MVP honors by seven strokes

Oral Roberts’ Jack Howes earned 2021 Summit League Men’s Golf Championship MVP honors by claiming the top spot in individual play. Howes shot three consecutive rounds in the 60’s to claim medalist honors by seven strokes. His 206 (-10) total tied for the second-lowest 54-hole total in Summit League Championship history as he led the Golden Eagles to a second-place finish in the team standings.

Softball - May 13

South Dakota State’s Tori Kniesche included in top-15 of NFCA/Schutt Sports Division I National Freshmen of the Year

South Dakota State pitcher Tori Kniesche was included in the top-15 of 2021 NFCA/Schutt Sports Division I National Freshman of the Year. A right-hander from Wayne, Nebraska, Kniesche ended the regular season with a 19-1 record and a 1.50 ERA. She was named The Summit League Pitcher of the Year after limiting the opposition to a .139 batting average and striking out 158 batters in 107 innings pitched.

Track & Field - May 13-15

Student-athletes break 14 Summit League Outdoor Track & Field Championships meet records

In the three days of the 2021 Summit League Outdoor Track & Field Championships, there were a total of 14 broken meet records. It marks the most broken records since 2017 when seven records were broken.

Softball - May 21

South Dakota State captures victory in NCAA Tournament debut

Making its NCAA Softball Tournament debut against Stanford, SDSU captured a 7-1 victory over the Cardinal in the opening round in Fayetteville, Ark. Cylie Halvorson hit a pair of home runs to drive in five runs and Grace Glanzer pitched a complete-game effort. 

Women’s Golf - May 21-24

Zanusso caps stellar season with top-10 finish at NCAA Championship

Denver sophomore Anna Zanusso turned in the best finish ever by a Summit League women’s golfer at the NCAA Championship, tying for ninth at the 2021 event. The sophomore fired a 2-under 70 in the final round of play, bringing her 72-hole total to 288 (even par). She closed out her sophomore season with three straight top-10 finishes, including a third-place showing at The Summit League Championship.

Baseball - May 29

North Dakota State breaks records during 2021 season

No. 2 seed North Dakota State defeated top-seeded Oral Roberts 11-6 in the winner-take-all game of the 2021 #SummitBSB Championship presented by U.S. Air Force Special Warfare, securing their school single-season record 41st win of the season. The Bison also set a school record with 20 Summit League wins and entered the NCAA Tournament with the most road wins in the nation with 25.

Track & Field - June 4

North Dakota State duo claim Midwest Region honors for outdoor season

North Dakota State thrower Alex Talley and associate director of track & field Justin St. Clair have been announced as winners of USTFCCCA regional awards for the 2021 outdoor season. Talley was named the men's Midwest Region Field Athlete of the Year, sweeping the honors for 2021 after he also captured the award for the indoor season in March. St. Clair was voted the women's Midwest Region Assistant Coach of the Year – his ninth regional honor since 2016.

Track & Field - June 9 & 10

Bison seniors earn NCAA Elite 90 Award

North Dakota State throwers Benji Phillips and Shelby Gunnells were named the recipients of the NCAA Elite 90 Award at the NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
The Elite 90 Award is presented to the single student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average at each of the NCAA's 90 national championships. Phillips owns a 4.0 GPA with a double major in exercise science and psychology. Gunnells has earned her Bachelor of Science degree from NDSU in geology with a 4.0 GPA.

Track & Field - June 10

Duo earn bronze at NCAA Outdoor Championships

South Dakota fifth-year senior Ethan Bray garnered the bronze medal and All-America first team status at the NCAA Championships. Bray cleared 18-2 ½ (5.55m) with a friendly bounce on his third attempt to earn the placing. North Dakota State sophomore Akealy Moton launched a school record and personal-best 59-5 (18.11m) on her final attempt in the shot put to place third. It was the second-highest Division I NCAA finish ever by a Bison woman.

Men's & Women's Tennis - June 17

Pioneers take home ITA Mountain Region Honors

Denver women's tennis senior Anna Riedmiller earned a pair of mountain region awards from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association, having been named the ITA Cissie Leary Sportsmanship Award recipient, and the winner of the 2021 Most Improved Senior. Riedmiller was named the Summit League Women's Tennis Player of the Year and is a three-time All-Summit League selection. Christian Bass was named the Wilson ITA Mountain Region Coach of the Year, and Karen Clark was named the ITA Mountain Region Assistant Coach of the Year.

Denver men's tennis student-athlete Nicolas Herrero Cuesta was named the ITA Mountain Region Freshman of the Year while Ricardo Rubio was named the ITA Mountain Region Coach of the Year. Herrero Cuesta earned All-Summit League honors in 2021, finishing his rookie season 14-2 in singles, including a 10-2 mark on court five for the Pioneers. He also went 11-4 in doubles, including a win against Oklahoma in the NCAA First Round to help Denver secure the doubles point.