May 29, 2025
BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Star Athletic Association announced their final annual athletics award Thursday. The conference annual awards included Athletics Director of the Year, Sports Information Director of the Year, Athletic Trainer of the Year, and Faculty Athletic Representative of the Year.
Co-Athletics Director of the Year – Pete Stanton – Dickinson State (N.D.)
Stanton was named the North Star Athletic Association Athletics Director of the Year for the third consecutive year, guiding Dickinson State (N.D.) to their third straight commissioner’s all-sports trophy. It was their fourth all-sports trophy in the last five seasons.
The Blue Hawks won NSAA conference regular season titles in football, men’s basketball, women’s indoor track & field, and men’s outdoor track & field during the 2024-25 season.
DiSU hosted the baseball, softball, and outdoor track & field conference championships recently this spring.
Stanton had been the athletics director at Dickinson State since 2017. Since becoming the athletics director, DiSU has brought back the baseball program, added junior varsity teams in multiple sports, and added women’s wrestling and competitive cheer programs.
He has also been the head coach for Dickinson State football program since 2013. He took his football squads to the NAIA Football National Playoffs since 2015. His 2024 football team advanced to the NAIA Football Championships Series Second Round after winning their home football playoffs in the opening round. His Blue Hawks football program earned their 10
th straight NSAA conference title with an 8-0 undefeated record.
Stanton guided his football team to their fifth consecutive NSAA undefeated season since 2020. The Blue Hawks closed the North Star football era with 41 straight conference victories since 2019.
Co-Athletics Director of the Year – Ed Lehotak – Bellevue (Neb.)
Lehotak has served as Bellevue University’s Athletics Director since 2009, leading a period of remarkable growth and achievement for the Bruins. Under his leadership, BU earned seven consecutive Midlands Collegiate Athletic Conference Commissioner’s Cups, and he has twice been named North Star Athletic Association Athletic Director of the Year.
A driving force behind the expansion of Bellevue’s athletic offerings, Lehotak has overseen the addition of six new sports, doubling the department’s programs, including the introduction of eSports, cross country/distance track, and women’s basketball.
Most recently, Lehotak played a pivotal role in the development and completion of the University’s new 72,000-square foot, two-level BU Fieldhouse, a transformative facility that opened in spring 2025. Prior to becoming an athletics director, he coached BU’s softball team to 471 wins over 13 seasons, earning multiple conference titles and national tournament appearances. His enduring commitment to student-athletes and Bellevue’s mission continues to shape the future of Bruin athletics.
Sports Information Director of the Year – Nick Huntimer, Dakota State (S.D.)
Huntimer completed his 21
st year with Dakota State (S.D.) in the sports information department.
During the 2024-25 academic season, Huntimer worked in three different sports information areas, including Dakota State and the North Star Athletic Association. He was named to the Frontier Conference’s Director of Athletics Communication last fall, where the expanded Frontier Conference includes the North Star’s members in 2025-26. He worked with each sport head coaches with process for the All-Conference teams and postseason awards.
He assisted with the running and coverage of the NSAA Indoor Track & Field Conference Championships last winter in Brookings, S.D. He also helped with the baseball and conference tournaments in Dickinson, N.D., and worked with the host institutions when they hosted the conference postseason tournament/meet.
Huntimer also helped with the preparation for the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament First and Second Rounds, which was held in Madison, S.D., for the second straight year. During that time, each of the four teams participated in the media day for creating a pre-game hype video to use for the video board and live video streaming for their student-athlete experience during their stay in Madison.
He is an active member of College Sports Communicators (CSC), the NAIA-Sports Information Directors Association (NAIA-SIDA), and a member on the NAIA statistical committee. He is also part of the national voting committee for the NAIA National Players-of-the-Week and Associated Press NAIA Football All-America.
“What can I say other than—Nick is an absolute ROCK STAR!”, emphasized Dakota State’s Athletics Director Bud Postma. “I don’t know anyone who works harder or loves their job more. Just consider his workload: he’s the SID at Dakota State, the North Star SID, and also serves as the SID for the Frontier Conference.”
“You have to truly love what you do to take all that on—and Nick does it with passion and excellence,” added Postma. “We’re incredibly lucky to have him at Dakota State University.”
Athletic Trainer of the Year – Abbey Cook – Dakota State (S.D.)
Cook joined the staff at Dakota State University as the Head Athletic Trainer in July 2021. In that time, she has worked with the administration, coaches, and staff in enhancing the sports medicine program, serving on search committees, and hosting three NAIA Indoor Track & Field national meets and two NAIA Women’s Basketball Opening Rounds.
Cook aided in the designing and outfitting of the new athletic trainer room in the Beacom PREMIER Complex, which opened in the fall of 2024.
Prior to coming to Dakota State, she was at NCAA Division II Miles College in Birmingham, Ala., where she was a member of back-to-back SIAC Championship football teams and two SIAC Western Division baseball championship teams.
Cook, a native of Central, Ill., received her Bachelor of Science in kinesiology from the University of Illinois in 2013 and her master’s in athletic training from the University of Arkansas in 2015.
“Having worked with Abbey over the past 14 months, I’ve come to see not only how skilled she is at her craft, but also how deeply she loves what she does,” said Postma. “Her passion and dedication are evident in everything she does.”
“The coaches, athletes, and her team consistently speak highly of her—and in my view, that kind of respect is one of the highest compliments a person can receive,” added Postma. “We are incredibly fortunate to have Abbey on our staff.”
Faculty Athletic Representative of the Year – Dr. Lori Hauf – Dickinson State (N.D.)
Dr. Hauf has dedicated over 25 years to Dickinson State University, where she has served in a varsity of roles including Associate Professor, Department Chair, and Dean of the School of Business and Entrepreneurship.
In addition to her academic leadership, she has supported student-athletes by handling eligibility responsibilities, first in the Office of Academic Records and later as the university’s Faculty Athletic Representative.
Dr. Hauf holds a Doctorate in Educational Technology Management from Northcentral University and remains actively engaged in business education at both the state and national levels. She currently serves as President of the National Business Education Association and has contributed to the profession through writing, presenting, and service in numerous leadership roles.
“It has been our honor to have Lori serve as the FAR at Dickinson State for the past several years,” stated Stanton. “Her dedication, attention to detail, and genuine care for our student athletes has been very impressive and we are grateful for all she has done.”
“We all wish her well in her retirement and thank Lori for her outstanding career,” added Stanton.