Janna (Austin) Aslesen

Janna Austin Aslesen, originally of Centerville, S.D., was one of the school’s all-time greats in women’s basketball and a student-leader on the University of Sioux Falls campus. A 1996 graduate of USF, she was named the South Dakota Sportswriters Association College Women’s Athlete of the Year in 1996. Upon graduation, she owned the South Dakota-Iowa Conference career mark for points and was eighth in rebounds with 908. 

In basketball, she totaled 1,931 career points, which set USF’s career scoring record and ranked seventh-best among all South Dakota collegians at the time she graduated. In addition, she broke the school record for single-season points of 609 (22.6 ppg) as a senior. She finished her career with 182 assists and 212 steals. Four times, she was named to the first team of the South Dakota Iowa Conference (SDIC) and honored as a first-team NAIA All-American in 1996. 

An All-American Scholar-Athlete in 1995 and 1996, Aslesen was the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Honor Recipient in 1996. Additionally, Aslesen, who was an NAIA All-American Scholar-Athlete in 1996, was selected as a Purple Feather winner as a senior for her character, scholarship, leadership and service to the University. Named USF Women's Athlete of the Year in 1996, she also received the 1996 USF Representative Woman honor. The USF Representative Woman honor exemplified Austin Aslesen's commitment to USF and purpose for which the school was founded. The honor was determined by vote of the senior class and represented the highest honor awarded to a USF student.