The 2009-10 school year marks the 14th year in which the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) has sponsored the SDHSAA Academic Achievement Team Award program to recognize athletic teams and fine arts groups for their academic excellence.

The award reaffirms the reality that high school students learn lessons and lifetime skills, not only inside the classroom, but also through participation in school athletic and fine arts activities programs outside the classroom. This SDHSAA program has been designed to assist in creating a positive educational environment for school athletic and fine arts teams and to also encourage the members of those teams to excel in the classroom. This award recognition program provides all athletic and fine arts participants with the opportunity to prove that they can be successful not only through athletic and fine arts activity participation but in the academic arena as well.

Any high school varsity athletic team or fine arts group in a SDHSAA sponsored activity is eligible to receive the award, provided the team or group achieves a combined grade point average of 3.00, or higher. With the completion of all the SDHSAA 2009-10 winter athletic and fine arts activities, the SDHSAA announced that the following local schools and their teams have received the Academic Achievement Team Awards.

Philip

Vocal solo-ensemble group

Band solo-ensemble group

One-act play cast and crew

Girls' basketball team

Boys' basketball team

Wrestling team

Kadoka Area

Girls' basketball team

Wall

Girls' basketball team

Gymnastics team

Girls' basketball cheerleaders

Boys' basketball team

Boys' basketball cheerleaders

Vocal solo-ensemble group

Band solo-ensemble group

One-act play cast and crew

Wrestling team.