MIAA Communications
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA announced its 2018-19 Ken B. Jones Award winners. The male winner was Levi Wyrick, a football and track and field student-athlete, of Pittsburg State and the female winner was Brianna Schmitz, a track and field student-athlete, of Emporia State. The two winners named with the Assoication’s top honor for a student-athlete at 2019 MIAA Awards Celebration presented by Husch Blackwell.
Wyrick is a two-time second-team All-American and two-time USTFCCCA All-Central Region selection for the weight throw and hammer throw. He was selected as the NCAA Elite 90 winner for the 2018 Outdoor Track and Field Championships and the 2019 Indoor Track and Field Championships. Wyrick was also a 2018 Academic All-American selection along with multiple USTFCCA All-Academic and MIAA Academic awards. He has volunteered with the Youth Football Clinics at PSU and the Lord’s Diner in Pittsburg, Kansas. The Elk City, Kansas native has a 4.0 GPA in Physical Education.
Schmitz was an All-American in the pentathlon during the indoor season. She won the MIAA Championship for the heptathlon and ranked 12th going into the outdoor national championship. Schmitz is a USTFCCA All-Academic, Division II ADA Academic Achievement Award, MIAA Scholar-Athlete, and MIAA Academic Honor Roll honoree. Schmitz has volunteered for Laps for
Landon, Food for Students, Train Like A Track Star, the Teddy Bear Clinic and Out of the Darkness Suicide Prevention Walk. The Hiawatha, Kansas native had a 3.96 GPA in Physical Education.
At the Awards Celebration, the Assoication also recognized its 2019 SAAC Mentor of the Year, SAAC Cup Champion and NCAA Award of Excellence recipient along with the 2019 MIAA Hall of Fame Class and the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup presented by McCownGordon Construction. Denise Terry from Missouri Southern was named as the SAAC Mentor of the Year as Missouri Western won the MIAA SAAC Cup. MWSU was also honored with the NCAA’s Award of Excellence for the its Big Game initative and Pittsburg State was awarded the Commissioner’s Cup presented by McCownGordon Construction.
The Ken B. Jones Award recognizes the Associations top female and male student-athlete throughout the academic year. A 15-member committee comprised of one administrator from each MIAA institution and the conference office ranks each candidate based on excellence in three categories: Athletic Achievement in that academic year, Career Academic Achievements and Community/Campus Service during the Academic Year. To learn more about the Award and see past winners, click here.