ELMHURST, Ill.–South Dakota's senior Shanice Cannigan, sophomore Chris Nilsen and sophomore Helen Falda have been named The Summit League Indoor Track and Field Athletes of the Year as voted on by the league's head coaches.
 
Nilsen retains the title of Summit League Men's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year. He was the league's indoor and outdoor field athlete of the year in 2017. Nilsen finished runner-up in the pole vault at the NCAA Indoor Championships for his third career All-America honor. He vaulted a personal best 19 feet, ¼ inch, for the fifth-best mark in NCAA indoor history at the Nebraska Tune-Up.
 
Cannigan becomes the first Coyote to earn the Summit League Women's Indoor Track Athlete of the Year award. She set a pair of Summit League Championship meet records in the 60-meter hurdles (8.41s) and pentathlon (4,106 points). Cannigan was named the Summit League Most Outstanding Performer of the Championship for her performance. She earned All-America second team honors in the pentathlon by placing 15th at the NCAA Indoor Championships.
 
Falda captures the Summit League Women's Indoor Field Athlete of the Year honor in her first season with USD. She became the third Coyote to surpass the 14-foot barrier by vaulting an indoor best of 14-0 ¾ at the Tyson Invitational. Falda placed 14th in the pole vault at the NCAA Indoor Championships to earn All-America second team honors. She also captured the pole vault at the Summit League Championships.
 
South Dakota was the only Summit League program to send an athlete to the 2018 NCAA Indoor Championships.