NORTHERN TODAY 16 SUMMER 2024 News | NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY NSU Foundation announces 2024 Distinguished Alumni, Hall of Fame inductees HANNAH KASTIGAR graduated from Northern State University in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in human performance and fitness and minor in health education. As the first National Champion in program history, Kastigar recorded a decorated career with the swim team from 2016-19. She was a three-time NCAA National Champion, eight-time NCAA All-American, and seven-time NSIC Conference Champion for the Wolves. Her first national championship came on March 9, 2017, in the 400-meter individual medley with a then school record time of 4 minutes, 12.99 seconds. She followed that up with her second title the following day in the 200 butterfly with a time of 1:58.36. Her third and final national crown came in March 2019, breaking her own school record in the 400 IM with a time of 4:11.15, defeating the runner-up by six seconds. Kastigar recorded All-American honors in the 200 IM (2017, 2019), 400 IM (2017, 2019), 100 butterfly (2017), 200 butterfly (2017, 2019) and 200 breaststroke (2019). In 2017, she won NSIC Championships in the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 IM and 400 IM, and was both the NSIC Championships Swimmer of the Meet and Swimmer of the Year. As a senior in 2019, Kastigar won the NSIC Championships in the 200 butterfly, 200 IM and 400 IM, and was again honored as the NSIC Swimmer of the Year. Kastigar continues to hold Northern State school records in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle, 200 freestyle, 1,000 freestyle, 50 backstroke, 50 breaststroke, 100 breaststroke, 200 breaststroke, 50 butterfly, 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 IM, and 400 IM, and Northern Sun Conference records in the 200 IM, 400 IM, 100 butterfly and 200 butterfly. She closed out her Northern State career as the 2019 Hildred Wolfe Award winner and 2019 Thunder Award Female Performance of the Year winner. Kastigar competed on the national stage at the U.S. Olympic Trials in 2012, 2016 and 2021, competing in the 400 IM, 200 IM, 200 backstroke and 200 butterfly. SASHA (HOVIND) GALLAGHER graduated from Northern State University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in education with a major in elementary education and minors in early childhood education, coaching and preK12 reading. She was an 11-time All-American in track and field and cross country for the Wolves from 2014-17, closing out her career as the most decorated distance runner in school history. In addition to her All-American performances, Gallagher was a two-time NSIC Champion in the indoor 5,000 meters (2016) and outdoor 10,000 meters (2018), as well as eight-time NSIC All-Conference performer in track and field, 2014 Conference Champion and three-time NSIC All-Conference performer in cross country. She earned All-American accolades in cross country in 2014, finishing 15th; 2015, finishing 13th; and 2017, finishing 10th. On the track, Gallagher was an All-American in 2015 taking seventh in the 5,000 and eighth in the 10,000 at the outdoor championships; in 2016 placing eighth in the 5,000 at the indoor championships, and fourth in the 10,000 and ninth in the 5,000 at the outdoor championships; in 2017 taking 12th in the 5,000 at the indoor championships; and in 2018 placing sixth in the 10,000 and seventh in the 5,000 at the outdoor championships. Gallagher continues to hold school records in the indoor 3,000, indoor 5,000, outdoor 5,000 and outdoor 10,000. She was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2016 and 2018, earning first-team accolades each season. Gallagher earned multiple NSIC All-Academic honors in her career, in addition to the 2017-18 Myles Brand Award, 2017 Indoor Track and Field Elite 18 Award and 2018 Cross Country Elite 18 Award. In addition, she was the 2017 recipient of the Northern State Hildred Wolfe Award and Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Willis R. Kelly Scholar-Athlete Award: the highest academic and athletic achievements for both the institution and league. Gallagher and her husband, Jacob, currently reside in Coralville, Iowa, with their 2-year-old son, Apollo. Professionally, she has been teaching preschool for five years, and her husband is currently a postdoctoral research scholar. The Northern State University Foundation has announced the 2024 Distinguished Alumni and Hall of Fame inductees. This year, the NSU Foundation will honor the following alumni: Alumni | NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY Individual Hall of Fame Inductees Hannah Kastigar Bachelor of Science in human performance and fitness and minor in health education Sasha (Hovind) Gallagher Bachelor of Science in education with a major in elementary education and minors in early childhood education, coaching, and preK-12 reading
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