Augustana University student-athletes are not only excelling on the playing field, they’re getting it done in the classroom. In Academic Year 2024-25, three Augustana University student-athletes — Ella Bakken ‘25, Liz Dierks ‘25 and Ryan Hartman ‘24 — earned NCAA Postgraduate Scholarships, which recognize the association's most accomplished student-athletes.
Established in 1964, this prestigious honor is given out to only 126 NCAA student-athletes each year across all 1,100 NCAA schools. Awarded $10,000 postgraduate scholarships, Bakken, Dierks and Hartman were selected based on their outstanding academic achievements, athletic excellence and leadership within their communities.
Since 2018-19, Augustana is tied for the most scholarships won (11 in total) compared to all schools in NCAA Division II and ranks in the top 10 among all NCAA schools nationwide.
🏃♀️ Ella Bakken ‘25, Viking Women’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Ella Bakken graduated with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in biology, earned summa cum laude and Civitas Program honors, and is working toward becoming a physician assistant (PA). A 5-time U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) All-Academic honoree, Bakken was named to six USTFCCCA All-Central Region teams, as well as a 2024 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award honoree. The 3-time All-NSIC cross country selection from Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was also an All-NSIC selection in indoor track & field for the first time, NSIC 10K Champion and awarded the Dr. Jeffrey J. Berends Scholarship in 2024.
🥎 Liz Dierks ‘25, Viking Softball (Pictured above)
Liz Dierks, a Sioux Falls native, graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in biology and is now attending the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) for pharmacy. At the end of the 2024-25 academic year, she was also awarded the prestigious Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award for Academic Excellence from the NSIC as the league's top female student-athlete.
During her time with the Vikings, Dierks helped AU to four NSIC (regular season) Championships and three NSIC Tournament titles all while accruing the 2025 NSIC Elite 18 Award for softball, two All-NSIC First Team honors, two NSIC All-Defensive Team recognitions, four straight Easton/National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-America Scholar Athlete distinctions, two College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District nods and multiple NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honors.
🏃 Ryan Hartman ‘24, Viking Men’s Cross Country/Track & Field
Ryan Hartman graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in exercise science, as well as a Master of Arts in Sports Administration & Leadership (MSAL) this past May. The Wausau, Wisconsin, native, was the first Viking in program history — in both cross country and track & field — to be named to the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA)/CSC Academic All-America first team.
In one of the most decorated careers in Viking history, Hartman collected numerous accolades: NCAA Cross Country National Runner-Up, 4-time NCAA All-American in cross country, 5-time All-American in track, 10-time USTFCCCA All-Academic and 2-time NSIC individual cross country champion. Hartman, who is currently in the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse (UWL) Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT) Program, was also an NSIC Myles Brand All-Academic with Distinction Award honoree and NSIC Honor Student Athlete.
The Top 20 Schools Since 2018-19 (ranking/school/number of awards):
1. Stanford University, 29
2. Emory University, 17
2. Johns Hopkins University, 17
4. Nebraska Wesleyan University, 16
5. The College of Wooster, 15
6. DePauw University, 14
6. University of Kentucky, 14
8. University of Georgia, 13
8. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, 13
10. Augustana University, 11
10. Arizona State University, 11
10. University of Chicago, 11
10. Wingate University, 11
14. Carnegie Mellon University, 10
14. Case Western Reserve University, 10
14. Kenyon College, 10
14. Trinity University (Texas), 10
14. Washington University in St. Louis, 10
19. Auburn University, 9
19. Duke University, 9
19. Hope College, 9
19. South Dakota State University, 9
19. University of Texas at Austin, 9
19. Vanderbilt University, 9