Rounds Announces Nominations to U.S. Service Academies

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) today announced that he has nominated 23 South Dakota students to our nation’s service academies for the 2018-2019 school year.

“It is an honor to nominate South Dakota’s best and brightest students to our nation’s service academies each year,” said Rounds. “This year, I was fortunate to receive nomination applications from an outstanding group of students. Each of the students I nominated possesses the leadership qualities and academic excellence to succeed at our nation’s service academies. I wish them all the best.”

Each year, members of Congress are allowed to nominate students from their state to the U.S. service academies. Each academy then gives full and fair consideration to these nominations when selecting enrollees. More information about the academy application process can be found here.

Rounds’ principal nominees to the service academies, who are guaranteed admission if they meet all of the requirements of the academy to which they are nominated include:

• Caleb Carnes of Beresford to the U.S. Air Force Academy
• Jennifer Chatwell of Sioux Falls to the U.S. Naval Academy
• Cain Lounsbery of Brookings to the U.S. Military Academy

Competitive nominee with a letter of assurance of acceptance:  

• Silas Diaz of Rapid City to the U.S. Naval Academy

Rounds competitive nominees to the service academies:

• Ryan Berry of Sioux Falls to the U.S. Military Academy
• Alexander Crowson of Brussels, Belgium (South Dakota resident) to the U.S. Military Academy
• Grady Dehler of Rapid City to the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy
• Isaac Doten of Sturgis to the U.S. Naval Academy
• Tyler Eberle of Rapid City to the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Naval Academy and the Merchant Marine Academy
• Ryan Habeck of Ft. Pierre to the U.S. Air Force Academy
• Tigh Hight of Sioux Falls to the U.S. Military Academy
• Tessa Kimbler of Aberdeen to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy
• Meredith Lammers of Dakota Dunes to the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy
• Ryan Maertz of Watertown, SD to the U.S. Air Force Academy
• Alexander Miller of Brandon, SD to the Merchant Marine Academy
• Jayden Pittman of Baltic to the U.S. Military Academy
• Alexia Scott of Aberdeen to the U.S. Air Force Academy
• Madison Skinner of Sioux Falls to the U.S. Naval Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy
• Mark Springman of Sioux Falls to the U.S. Military Academy
• Arianna Stangohr of Sioux Falls to the U.S. Military Academy and the U.S. Air Force Academy
• Brock Walker of Sioux Falls to the U.S. Military Academy, the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Naval Academy
• Justice West of Piedmont to the U.S. Naval Academy
• Brighem Williams of Lead to the U.S. Naval Academy

Competitive nominations are submitted to the academies, along with nominees from other states, and selected by the academy on a limited, competitive basis.

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