USD Athletic Department Celebrates Student-Athlete Excellence at The Charlies Awards
VERMILLION, S.D. — The University of South Dakota’s athletic department hosted its annual awards ceremony, The Charlies, on Thursday night, recognizing the remarkable achievements of student-athletes for the 2024-25 academic year.
Highlighting the awards were Grace Larkins from women’s basketball, who received the Catie Tobin Female Athlete of the Year award, and Travis Theis from football, honored as the Dr. John Van Why Male Athlete of the Year.
Larkins, a senior from Altoona, Iowa, had a standout season, earning the Summit League Player of the Year title. She averaged an impressive 24.0 points per game and concluded her collegiate career as the second-highest scorer in program history, amassing 2,089 career points. Notably, she set a school record with a remarkable 47-point game against North Dakota State on February 8.
On the football field, Theis, a native of Pratt, Kansas, emerged as a top rusher in the Missouri Valley Football Conference (MVFC), leading the league with an average of 90.2 rushing yards per game. He was celebrated as a Second Team AFCA All-American and achieved First Team All-MVFC honors, becoming the first Coyote to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season since 2007, finishing with 1,194 yards and 19 touchdowns.
The event honored several other exceptional athletes, including Max Schmidtke and Grace Larkins as Male and Female Scholar Athletes of the Year, respectively. The awards also recognized various excellence in sportsmanship and academics across the athletic programs.
For a complete list of winners, visit South Dakota Athletics online and follow them on social media.
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