Janna (Austin) Aslesen
Centerville, S.D. -- Basketball

When Janna (Austin) Aslesen arrived on the campus of Sioux Falls College in the fall of 1992, most basketball coaches and fans discounted the contribution a 5’9” post from the class ‘B’ ranks from Centerville, S.D., could make at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) level.  By the time Janna graduated with business administration with an emphasis in accounting and wellness management degrees in 1996, not only had the institution’s name changed but so had the position Janna filled on the Cougar basketball team (forward) and the opinions of those same coaches and fans.  Janna’s career climaxed her senior season when the South Dakota Sportswriters Association named her the College Women’s Athlete of the Year.  Janna accumulated 1,931 career points, making her the seventh leading scorer in South Dakota women’s history in 1996.  She maintains the University of Sioux Falls’ career scoring record, as well as the school record for career rebounds (908).  Janna also established a school record by scoring 609 points (22.6 PPG) her senior season, and she finished her career with 182 assists and 212 steals.  Four times Janna was named to the first team of the South Dakota Iowa Conference (SDIC), and she was honored as a NAIA First Team All-American in 1996.  The University paid homage to Janna by retiring her uniform number 40 at the athletic banquet her senior year.  Janna’s collegiate highlights were not all-together athletic related, as she was an All-American Scholar Athlete in 1995 and 1996 and a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Honor Recipient in 1996.  In addition, Janna was selected as a purple feather winner her senior year based on her character, scholarship, leadership, and service to the University.  She was also named the 1996 Representative Woman.  Post college Janna remains a basketball enthusiast.  She competed on the basketball court as a member of the South Dakota Elite, a team compiled of basketball standouts Janna competed against in high school and college.  The team played exhibition games against local colleges.

Family: Husband-Travis Aslesen; Two Children-Elsie and Sam