BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Augustana own's Liz Dierks and Ryan Hartman have been named NSIC Honor Student Athletes while Dierks was bestowed with the prestigious Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence as the top female student-athlete in the conference.
 
"Liz's influence on her teammates and the Augustana Softball program will be felt for years to come. She is the true example that you can succeed at the highest level in both and we are incredibly proud of her and her achievements," added Augustana Head Softball Coach Gretta Melsted.
 
Dierks, a native of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is a senior majoring in biology at Augustana University. The Harrisburg High School graduate holds a 4.00 grade point average while excelling in softball for the Vikings. Dierks is the second student-athlete from Augustana to earn the NSIC Kelly Award as she joins Kendall Cornick (2021).
 
Dierks was a 2025 NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award recipient, a multiple time member of the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence and earned the 2025 NSIC Elite 18 Award for softball. She also earned Easton/NFCA All-America Scholar Athlete honors each of the past four seasons and was a 2023 CSC Academic All-District member.
 
Dierks was one of only three students chosen for the Will Rosine Memorial Scholarship last spring, which recognizes students for their academic excellence and as student ambassadors for the biology department. Dierks had conducted multiple research experiments, including working with the South Dakota Biomedical Research Infrastructure Network and she was awarded an undergraduate research fellowship position to work in Dr. Barrett Eichler's lab advancing the work from the 2023 research project where they synthesized 20 novel compounds to be submitted for publication. She was also awarded an undergraduate research fellowship position to work in Dr. Barrett Eichler's lab, which focused on improving the effectiveness of antimicrobials through the incorporation of newly synthesized compounds.
 
Dierks started all 60 games in the outfield for the Vikings this season. She has slashed .344/.373/.391 with 52 hits in 151 at bats with 14 RBIs, 38 runs scored, four doubles and a home run this season. She was also 10 for 11 in stolen base attempts. Dierks is a two-time All-NSIC First Team performer as well as an All-Defensive team member in 2025 and 2023. She has been a part of four NSIC Regular Season Championship teams and three NSIC Tournament titles.
 
In the community, Dierks has read to kindergarten students at Harrisburg Explorer Elementary, made pamphlets for South Dakota Voices for Peace, welcomed children on their first day of school at Garfield Elementary School, assisted students with disabilities in gym class at Terry Redlin Elementary School, wrote Christmas cards for nursing home residents, taught students at Holy Spirit Elementary about the game of softball, and prepared meals for local families.
 
"As a true student-athlete, Liz represents the ideal balance of academic and athletic excellence. Her remarkable dedication to achieving success in both areas sets her apart, and she continues to motivate younger student-athletes through her relentless work ethic and passion," said Marcia Entwistle, Augustana Faculty Athletic Representative.
 
The member institutions of the NSIC nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the Britton and Kelly Awards. The nominees must meet the following criteria: a grade point average of 3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale); evidence of academic excellence beyond the minimum grade point average (scholarship prizes and other academic recognition), evidence of participation in the life of the institution, and evidence of participation in at least two-thirds of the varsity events of the individual's primary sport. The award is voted on by the NSIC Faculty Athletic Representatives.
 
The 30 student-athletes nominated for the NSIC's two most prestigious awards will also be recognized as NSIC Male and Female Honor Student-Athletes of the Year at their respective institutions. Dierks and Andrews will be recognized Tuesday, July 8 at the NSIC Hall of Fame Banquet in Moorhead, Minnesota and will each receive a $3,000 post-graduate scholarship.
 
The Kelly Award is named in honor of Willis R. Kelly, an associate professor of physical education at the University of Minnesota-Morris. A member of the NSIC Hall of Fame, Kelly also coordinated the Minnesota-Morris Physical Education Department from 1970-87. She became the first director of women's intercollegiate athletics at Minnesota-Morris in 1976 and was later promoted to athletics director for the whole department. Kelly passed away in 1988.