Recent Aberdeen Central graduate Taryn Hermansen owns a resume full of championships, records and accomplishments and now has something to top the entire list. Hermansen has been chosen as the Gatorade South Dakota Girls Track and Field Player of the Year.

“It’s kind of insane to think about,” Hermansen said. “You think winning a state championship and everything is amazing, but you kind of look back and it’s all those little moments, and big moments that added up to this insane award and honor.”

Hermansen, who won back-to-back Class AA state championships in the shot put, finished with the second best throw all-time in state history at 48-feet, 11-inches. She also finished third at state in the discus this past spring with a career-best effort. Headed to throw at the University of South Dakota, Hermansen is still trying to come to grips with the prestigious award.

“To kind of just think about like out of every single girl in South Dakota I was chosen. That’s just a lot of people and just to even think about it in that sense, it’s crazy for sure,” Hermansen said. “I don’t know if I’ve still fully wrapped my head around how big of an honor it is, just because when you’re working for everything day in and day out … you’re working for a championship, you’re working to represent your school and everything, but being Gatorade Player of the Year, that was never really in my mind, because it’s just such an incredible honor to even think about.”

Hermansen was informed of the award on Thursday morning.

“Once I heard I was getting nominated, I started thinking about it and I was wow, that’s even an honor to be nominated for,” she said, “and (Thursday) morning when I woke up and I heard it, I remember just kind of sitting and I was like, woah, this is insane. It’s truly just an honor, that’s for sure.”

Hermansen was a four-time All-State selection in track and field, a three-time All-State pick in basketball, and set 10 meet records in the shot put as a senior. She said all of those past accomplishments added up to winning the Gatorade award.

“It’s an award you get because of every small win you get every day, and all those small wins getting up to bigger wins, ESD championships and state championships, and then those all combine and once you put it together, all those successes, that’s when you get this really big one.”

Hermansen thought her high school accomplishments had come to and end when she competed at the recently concluded Nike Nationals in Eugene, Ore.

“It just kind of makes me think about everything that got to this point. After state I was like OK, I’m done with high school, but I’ve got one more meet at nationals. After nationals I’m like OK, now I’m done, I’m going to college,,” Hermansen said, “and then you hear you’re nominated and then you receive this award, and it’s like to know that I got to leave high school as being a state champion, and being the Gatorade Player of the Year and going to Nike Nationals, just knowing that’s how you’re leaving high school and that’s how you’re leaving, there’s no bigger and greater feeing than that.”

Hermansen hopes that her path to the top will help inspire others to work hard and pursue their dreams as well.

“Knowing that yes you got all these awards, but hopefully, despite all those awards, you’re able to make even a bigger impact on people to hopefully be able to see that and go drive to be that, too,” she said. “It’s truly incredible and I’m beyond grateful for sure.”

The award also recognizes Hermansen’s work in the community where she volunteered as a Sunday school teacher, helped at the Humane Society, Safe Harbor, and worked as a youth coach.

“I love being involved. Everywhere I go I always get to see people that I know in this community which is amazing, but it also started from me being a Sunday School teacher for five years,” Hermansen said. “You get to see so many kids. Then I go to the Y and I see those same kids try to do better in basketball. You get to help them grow not only in athletics, but also in their faith.”

Hermansen was a four-year member of the Student Senate at Central and this past year served as student body president. She reached her goal of graduating with a 4.0 grade point average her senior year.

“I’m very successful in athletics, but I also wanted to strive to be a very good student-athlete. … It’s really hard to be really good at one part, you’ve got to be good at both parts,” Hermansen said. “My brother (Dustin), he was the Valedictorian of his class. He’s at the Air Force Academy. My sister (Jordan) was top 10 in her class. I knew coming into high school that I gotta try to prove myself in both spots.”

So Hermansen did what she does best. She fully committed her self to the task, rose to the challenge, and reached her goal.

“It was very hard for me to do that academic part, because I just didn’t know if I was good enough because I could never be as smart as they were, but my senior year I came in with a 3.8 GPA, and my goal was to finish with a 4.0,” Hermansen said. “So I worked my butt off this whole year, and both in academics and athletics I was able reach my (goal). Even that accomplishment, you have to look back and be so grateful. If you would told my eighth-grade self what I would do in high school, not only athletics, but academics, and just in my community, I would have said you’re probably crazy. But I also would have known that my work ethic is I don’t give up, and I do what I can. And knowing that, I knew I could do this.”

Soon Hermansen will be off to face more challenges and try to reach more goals. She will head to USD armed with the most prestigious honor given out in South Dakota for girls’ track and field.

“It’s definitely one of the highest awards in the nation for sure,” Hermansen said. “There’s only one to go around every year, and to know you’re the one that got it … once you really start to think about it, it’s like just an amazing honor to receive, and I’m beyond grateful for it, for sure.”