Watertown's Sam Mooney, Aberdeen golfers & Northern State athletes honored

Here’s some recent sports briefs for Watertown and Aberdeen:

Softball

Sam Mooney of Watertown is one of three South Dakotans to receive the 2026 James Farrell Award of Excellence, one of USA Softball’s highest honors for national championship hosts.

Mooney is a USA Softball South Dakota men’s slowpitch commissioner. Rick Graff and Dave Nielsen of Sioux Falls People for Youth also received the honor during the 95th USA Softball Council Meeting. The award recognizes tournament hosts who demonstrate outstanding leadership, hospitality and excellence in conducting USA Softball National Championship.

Mooney was recognized for hosting the Men’s Northern D National Championship in August at Watertown’s PREMIER Softball Complex. Graff and Nielsen were honored for hosting the Northern A and B Girls Fastpitch National Championships this summer in Sioux Falls.

Junior Golf Aberdeen

Junior Golf Aberdeen has announced that Claire Crawford and Grayson Rehder has been selected as the recipients of 2026 Dean Shortridge Scholarship.

Junior Golf Aberdeen annually awards two $1,500 educational scholarships to area high school seniors who have demonstrated involvement in golf and intend to purse education at a two or four-year institution.

Crawford, a 2026 Aberdeen Roncalli High School graduate, played golf and basketball and received a number of other honors in high school. She is currently playing women’s college golf at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell where she is studying business administration with an emphasis on accounting and finance.

Rehder, a 2026 Aberdeen Central High School graduate, played golf and tennis and also received a number of other honors in high school. He is now studying mechanical engineering at North Dakota State University in Fargo.

NSIC Wrestling

Northern State junior 125-pounder Sloan Johannsen of Watertown recently received the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Wrestler of the Week honor.

Johannsen went 4-0 to win the 125-pound championship in Jimmie Open hosted by the University of Jamestown (ND). He recorded falls in the first two rounds and technical falls in the semifinals and championship.

All-NSIC Volleyball

Three Northern State University players, including sophomore outside hitter Katelyn Schroeder of Tulare and redshirt junior setter Ava Nilsson of Mansfield, have earned first team honors on the All-Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference volleyball team. Linnea Nesheim, a redshirt junior outside hitter from Sioux Falls, also earned the honor.

Nilsson and Nesheim each moved up from the All-NSIC second team last year.

Nilsson has recorded 1,208 assists, 254 digs and 38 aces; Schroeder 418 kills, 302 digs and 36 block assists; and Nesheim 2372 kills, 25 blocks and 171 digs for NSU, which opens play on Tuesday in the NSIC Tournament.

Follow Watertown Public Opinion sports reporter Roger Merriam on X (formerly known as Twitter) @PO_Sports or email: rmerriam@thepublicopinion.com

This article originally appeared on Watertown Public Opinion: Watertown’s Sam Mooney, Aberdeen golfers & Northern State athletes honored