SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Summit League officials announced the 2024-25 Daktronics Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award honorees on Thursday. This year's recipients were North Dakota Stat’s Sam Roller, who garnered the male honor, and North Dakota’s Jadyn Keeler, who collected the female honor.
These two track and field standouts were recognized for their outstanding academic achievements, athletic achievements, attitude, and leadership throughout the 2024-25 academic year. This marks the second time in League history that the awards were swept by track and field athletes. The previous occurrence was in 2021-22 when South Dakota thrower Jessie Sullivan, who won his second straight award, and North Dakota State runner Amanda Anderson were honored.
Roller’s honor marks the fifth time a male from North Dakota State earned the award, which is the most by any current or former member in League history. The other former Bison to win the award were Elliott Stone (2018-19; track and field), Tim Colwell (2013-14; baseball), and Brett Winkelman (2007-08, 2008-09; men’s basketball). Denver, IUPUI and Valparaiso each have four all-time male honors.
Keeler is only the second Fighting Hawk to claim the honor, joining women’s basketball player Julia Fleecs, who won the honor in 2020-21.
The Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award is the most prestigious accolade The Summit League bestows each year and is determined by a vote of the league's faculty athletic representatives.
SAM ROLLER | NORTH DAKOTA STATE
Roller capped his collegiate career with his best season yet in the javelin, earning honorable mention All-America honors at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championship after finishing 24th with a throw of 189-09” (60.58m).
The former Bison walk-on was also named the NCAA’s Elite 90 Award winner, which is given to the single student-athlete with the highest cumulative GPA at each of the organization’s 90 national championships. He recently graduated Summa Cum Laude from NDSU, while boasting a 4.0 GPA in biological sciences.
Roller also earned College Sports Communicators Academic All-America honors, landing on the organization’s second team, while also collecting CSC Academic All-District honors. He was also a two-time Summit League Academic All-League selection during his career.
On the field, Roller also won the javelin event at the 2025 Summit League Outdoor Track and Field Championships for the first time in his career. He had previously earned second-place and fourth-place finishes in that event.
Beyond competition, Roller has volunteered more than 100 hours of his time at youth and community track and field events and camps in the Fargo area.
The Thompson, N.D., native has also worked as an in-home care assistant for elderly and vulnerable individuals in the Fargo community and spent time as a patient care technician in the Med/Surg Department at the Sanford Broadway Medical Center, gaining hands-on clinical experience that compliments his academic and professional goals.
Roller has been accepted into the University of North Dakota medical school.
Also nominated for Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Sam Bassett, Denver // Jamar Brown, Kansas City // Ange-Kevin Koua, North Dakota // Luke Gainer, Omaha // Jack Bratcher, Oral Roberts // Owen Rexing, St. Thomas // Spencer Buley, South Dakota // Hunter Wallster, South Dakota State
JADYN KEELER | NORTH DAKOTA
Keeler put together one of the most decorated distance running seasons in Summit League history in 2024-25, earning second team All-America honors at both the NCAA Indoor and Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She placed 10th in the 5,000 meters at the indoor championship and took 16th in the 10,000 meters at the outdoor championship.
She also combined to win five Summit League Championships in 2025 between the indoor and outdoor seasons en route to being named the Track Championship MVP at both events. Keeler was also named the Summit League Indoor Track Athlete of the Year.
In the classroom, Keeler’s achievements are just as impressive. She is working towards a double major in Molecular and Integrative Biology and Geography, while maintaining a 3.969 GPA. She has also won numerous academic awards and honors, landing on the Summit League Academic Honor Roll four times and the Summit League Commissioner’s List of Academic Excellence three times. She was recently named UND’s Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year as well.
The Barrie, Canada native has also gained hands-on experience in the medical field, working with researchers at the UND Medical School on specific cellular processes. She is returning to UND for her fifth year as she works towards her degree completions.
Beyond the classroom and track, Keeler has been active in the Grand Forks community, accumulating dozens of volunteer hours for a variety of events during her four years on campus. Those activities and events include the Student-Athlete Advisor Committee’s annual food drive, campus clean-up, Halloween Bash, Holiday Bell Ringing and various other service projects.
Also nominated for Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Clara Gestsdottir, Denver // Catherine Chrobak, Kansas City // Annabel Thorstenson, North Dakota State // Maggie O’Brien, Omaha // Trinity Freeman, Oral Roberts // Olivia Keller, St. Thomas // Sara Reifenrath, South Dakota // Paige Meyer, South Dakota State
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