Aberdeen, S.D. – The Northern State Athletics Hall of Fame will have six new members in 2026 following the annual banquet celebration over Gypsy Days. Kelsey Chambers, Miranda (Ristau) Obaniana, Arlin Likness, Rob Lewis, Drew (Smith) Reinot, and David Snelling will join the already 250 members including former student-athletes, coaches, and contributors of Northern State. 
 
The 2026 Hall of Fame & Distinguished Alumni Banquet is set for Friday, September 25, beginning at 5 p.m. from the Kessler's Champions Club Room. Tickets for the event are $25 for adults and $10 for children and can be purchased by calling the NSU Foundation at 605-626-2550.
 
"The 2026 Hall of Fame Class is a tremendous group of former Wolves that highlights both individual and team success," noted Nate Davis, Director of Athletics. "These individuals had outstanding careers, and we are excited to recognize their achievements and celebrate their successes as we welcome them back to campus in the fall."
 
"The NSU Hall of Fame committee is honored to induct this remarkable class whose achievements reflect what Northern State Athletics is all about," added Ashley Gauer, Senior Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations and Hall of Fame Committee chair. "Their athletic accolades and academic distinction at both the conference and national level, as well as championship success speak to their commitment both on and off the field. It is a privilege to recognize their legacy and welcome them into the Hall of Fame."
 
Kelsey Chambers graduated from Northern State University with a Bachelor of Science in special education in 2016, following a 4-year career on the volleyball team. She tallied 1,547 kills, 1,054 digs, 176 blocks, and 56 aces in her career, hitting .294.
 
She is the school record holder with 1,547 career kills and 3,669 career attacks and ranks top-5 in the record book in single match kills, single season kills, and career attack percentage. Chambers was the first AVCA All-American in program history following the 2013 campaign, honored on the third team. In addition, she was a 4-time NSIC All-Conference selection with three first team nods, 2-time AVCA All-American, D2CCA All-American, a CoSIDA/Daktronics All-Region pick, and 2-time AVCA All-Region honoree. Chambers closed out her career as the 2016 Hildred Wolfe Award winner.
 
Northern State advanced to the NCAA Central Region Tournament in 2013 and tallied a record of 85-33 during her tenure. The Wolves hit a national leading mark of .320 in 2015 on the back of Chambers who hit .346, and ranked third in the country in kills per set (14.00).
 
Kelsey resides in Luxembourg, working as a teacher at the International School of Luxembourg. She played ten years of professional and semi-professional volleyball in Germany and Luxembourg with proWin Volleys TV Holz, RSR Walfer, Volley Bartreng, and the Escher Volleyball Club.
 
Miranda (Ristau) Obaniana graduated from Northern State University with a Bachelor of Science in honoribus in 2018, following a 4-year career on the women's basketball team. She appeared in 105 games, making 63 starts for the Wolves in her career. Obaniana tallied 1,461 points, shooting 54.7% from the floor and 75.4% from the foul line, 680 rebounds, 180 assists, and 172 blocks in her career.
 
She holds school records in single game blocked shots (10), single season points scored (635), single season field goals made (254), and sits top-5 in the NSU record book in single game points, single game field goal attempts, single game free throw attempts, single game rebounds, single season points per game, single season field goal attempts, single season free throws made, single season free throw attempts, single season blocked shots, career field goal percentage, career field goals made, and career blocked shots. Obaniana ranks seventh all-time in career points with 1,461 and 16th in career rebounds with 680.
 
Obaniana was a 2-time NSIC All-Conference selection, NSIC/Sanford Health Basketball Tournament All-Tournament team member, the 2018 NSIC Player of the Year, a D2CCA and WBCA All-American, NSIC Myles Brand Award winner, the 2018 CoSIDA Academic All-American® of the Year, the first in school history, and the 2018 Hildred Wolfe Award recipient. In addition, she earned the 2018 Butch Raymond Scholarship, the 2018 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, the NSIC Willis R. Kelly Award winner, and was the NSIC nominee for the 2018 NCAA Woman of the Year. The Wolves went 99-27 in her career, winning three NSIC North Division Championships, two NSIC Tournament titles, and the 2017-18 NSIC Championship. In addition, NSU qualified for the NCAA Central Region Tournament each season.
 
Miranda and her husband Justin reside in Watertown, South Dakota. She works as a physical therapist at Sanford Canby Medical Center and is a volunteer assistant coach for the Florence-Henry girls basketball program.
 
Arlin Likness graduated from Northern State University with a Bachelor of Science in social science and physical education with composite health in 1979 and is the 2026 Kretchman Coaching Award recipient. Likness has taught and coached in the State of South Dakota for 39 years, serving the communities of Beresford, Hamlin, and Yankton in the sports of football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. He is the fifth winningest head football coach in South Dakota High School history.
 
Likness holds a head football coaching record of 261-101 in 38 years of work, with seven South Dakota State Championships and three runner-up finish. In addition, he adds two state championships to his resume as an assistant. In total, Likness has coached in 13 state championship games, winning nine of them. As an assistant on staff with the boys and girls basketball programs at Hamlin and Yankton, Likness made 16 South Dakota State Tournament appearances, winning two championships. He was named the Assistant Coach of the Year in 1992, 1993, and 2001. Finally, his track and field programs won three state championships.
 
Likness's honors include the 2013 Royal Order of the Gyps Alumni of the Year, 2015 SD Sports Writer's Coach of the Year, SDHSCA Max Hawk Award, SDHSAA Distinguished Service Award, the Don Baker Award for Excellence in Coaching, seven South Dakota Football Region Coach of the Year Awards, five South Dakota Football Coach of the Year Awards, the ESD Conference Award of Merit, and a 2-time finalist for the National Power of Influence Award. He is a member of the South Dakota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2010), South Dakota High School Coaches Hall of Fame (2017), Hamlin Hall of Fame (2024 & 2026), National High School Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame (2025), Yankton Athletic Hall of Fame (2026).
 
Likness has served the South Dakota High School Coaches Association, National High School Coaches Association, South Dakota High School Football Coaches Association, South Dakota High School Football Advisory Board, South Dakota Coaches Foundation Board of Directors, Hayti Lutheran Congregation, Trinty Lutheran Congregation, F.C.A. Leadership Board of Directors, South Dakota Education Association, ST Dysmas of SD member of prison ministries, Worship Life Committee Choir, Yankton Booster Club, and Yankton ELCA.
 
Arlin is married to his wife of 40-plus year, Kristine, and the pair have four children, Jordan, Kara, Kalli, and Jase, and one grandchild, Harper.
 
Rob Lewis graduated from Northern State University with a Bachelor of Science in education in 1995, following a 4-year career on the wrestling team. He tallied over 100 career victories at NSU, one of only 12 Wolves wrestlers to do so in the program's history.
 
Lewis is the career record holder with 80 wins by fall and recorded a pair of 30-win seasons in 1993 and 1994. He was a 3-time national qualifier in 1991, 1993, and 1994. He earned All-American accolades in 1993 as the runner-up and 1994, taking eighth. In addition, Lewis won the NSIC Championship in 1994.
 
Rob resides in Redfield with his wife Dana and is the Superintendent for the Northwestern Area School District. In his career, Lewis was named the2004 11B Assistant Coach of the Year in football and the 2010 Region High School Principal of the Year. His 2003 team at Elk Point Jefferson won the South Dakota Class B Wrestling Championship. He is a member of the Redfield Volunteer Fire Department, the Redfield Soccer Association Board, and served 22 years with the South Dakota National Guard. Rob and Dana have three children, Murphy, Jack, and Turner.
 
Drew (Smith) Reinot graduated from Northern State University with a Bachelor of Science in psychology in 2016, following a 4-year career on the volleyball team. The Des Moines native tallied 4,774 assists, 909 digs, 173 blocks, 79 kills, and 73 aces in her career. She ranked second in the country in 2014, averaging 12.74 assists per set, and sat as the NCAA Division II national leader in assists per set in 2015 averaging 13.13.
 
She broke the school record for career assists as a senior with 4,774 and currently sits second all-time. In addition, she sits top-5 in the record book in single match assists and single season assists, recording over 1,000 assists in each of her four seasons with a career high 1,326 in 2015. Northern State closed out the 2015 season as the NCAA National Statistical Leader in attack percentage, hitting .320, in large part to the efforts of Reinot. The Wolves went 85-33 in her career, reaching the NCAA Tournament in 2013.  
 
Reinot was a 4-time NSIC All-Conference performer, earning NSIC Player of the Year honors in 2015. She was an AVCA All-Region honoree, an AVCA First Team All-American, and D2CCA All-American.
 
Drew resides in Durham, North Carolina with her husband Hannes and their son Finn Arthur. She is a Perioperative Nurse at the Duke University Hospital.
 
David Snelling graduated from Northern State University with a Bachelor of Science in health and physical education in 2001, following a career with the football and track and field teams from 1997-2001.
 
On the football field, Snelling was a 4-year starter for the Wolves. He led the team in the fall of 2000 with 66.0 tackles, including 3.0 tackles for a loss, as a cornerback where he was named the NSU Defensive Skill Player of the Year. In addition, he finished the year second on the team with two interceptions and nine pass break-ups and was named to the NSIC All-Conference First Team that season. Snelling was a member of the 1999 NSIC Championship team for the Wolves.
 
On the track, Snelling was an 11-time NSIC All-Conference selection and a member of the 2001 NSIC Indoor Championship team for NSU. He won NSIC Championships in the indoor 800m in 1999 and outdoor 800m in 2000. He holds the school record in the 4x800m relay with Scott Gangle, Josh Lien, and Mike Larson with a time of 7:48.34, and was the previous school record holder in the indoor 400m, indoor 600m, indoor 800m, and indoor 4x400m. The 4x800m relay crew of Gangle, Lien, Larson, and Snelling also holds the Barnett Center record in the event.
 
Snelling closed out his Northern State career as the 2001 Clark Swisher Award winner. Post-graduation, Snelling spent 15 years as a wildland fire fighter working for the State of South Dakota and the elite crew, Tatanka Hotshots.