BURNSVILLE, Minn. – Former Augustana women's tennis standout Katie Jesperson will be inducted into the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Hall of Fame on Tuesday, July 8, at the Courtyard by Marriott in Moorhead, Minn., at the NSIC's annual Summer Kickoff event. A social begins at 5:30 p.m. followed by the ceremony at 6 p.m.
 
Joining Jesperson in the class of 2025 include: Emily (Palkert) Davis, Concordia-St. Paul; Melissa (Agnew) Blanchard & Jennifer (Agnew) Keller, UMary; Jennifer Bagley Trotter, MSU Moorhead; Jacob Fahl, SMSU; Katie (Goetzinger) Voth, Wayne State; and Stacey (Struzynski) Zimmerman, Winona State.
 
Reserve your tickets for the banquet by visiting northernsun.org/HOFBanquet and filling out the online Hall of Fame Banquet Registration Form. Registrations are due no later than July 1, as space is limited for this event.
 
Jesperson, a 2024 Augustana Hall of Fame inductee, becomes the first individual NSIC Hall of Famer in Augustana history. She was a standout performer for the Augustana Women's Tennis Team from 2011 to 2014, helping elevate the program to new heights during her tenure. A dominant force on the court, Jesperson collected numerous individual accolades while guiding the Vikings through one of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference's (NSIC) most successful NCAA Championship runs.

A two-time NSIC Player of the Year, Jesperson was a four-time All-NSIC First Team selection in both singles and doubles. She captured four consecutive NSIC Championships and was named the ITA Central Region Senior Player of the Year in 2014. With a remarkable career singles record of 85-8, Jesperson led the Vikings to a combined 85-12 team record during her time, playing a pivotal role in the program's rise.

Jesperson dominated conference play, going 36-1 in NSIC singles matches—her only loss coming as a sophomore to NSIC Player of the Year Erin Kappers of Winona State. Her senior year was especially noteworthy, finishing with a 22-1 singles record, including two wins over Division I opponents, and an undefeated 25-0 mark in doubles. She capped her career by winning all five NSIC and NCAA postseason doubles matches, helping Augustana reach the NCAA Central Region 2 Championship title match.

Jesperson's excellence extended beyond the court. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree and earned Academic All-NSIC recognition, reflecting her dedication in the classroom as well.

Following her remarkable collegiate career, Jesperson transitioned into the healthcare technology field. She currently works as an Interface Engineer for Sanford Health and resides in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
 
Founded in 1986, the Northern Intercollegiate Conference (NIC - the former men's conference) Hall of Fame was established to recognize and honor those who made significant contributions to the conference, to create favorable publicity and public relations for the league and to help preserve the history of the NIC, its member institutions, student-athletes, and other significant individuals affiliated with the league.  For the first two inductions (1986 and 1990) each selection hailed from the NIC.  In 1992, the Northern Sun Conference (NSC - the former women's conference) and the NIC merged, creating the current Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).  After annual inductions since 2000, the NSIC Hall of Fame will now boast over 225 members and three teams.
 
Each NSIC institution (who has been a league member for at least ten years) is asked to submit one candidate for consideration for induction into the Hall of Fame. Each of the candidates are derived from individuals who have been affiliated with the NSIC, NIC, NSC and their member institutions.