Ken B. Jones Award Winners Announced

Farabi, Lee help Pittsburg State claim unprecedented sweep of honors

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- Two seniors from Pittsburg State were honored with the Ken B. Jones Awards for MIAA Student-Athlete of the Year Thursday (June 11) at the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel's Wyandotte II Ballroom.

2008-09 Ken B. Jones Award winners Caleb Farabi and Venessa Lee of Pittsburg State (second and third from the left) are joined by attending finalists (from left) Joel Osborn of Northwest Missouri State, Jessica Mainz of Washburn and Brittanie Roldan of Central Missouri at the conclusion of the MIAA Awards Banquet. Photo by Matt Newbery

Football student-athlete Caleb Farabi and cross country/track & field student-athlete Venessa Lee earned the honors -- it is the first time one institution has won both men's and women's awards in the same year.

With these two honors, PSU broke a tie with Emporia State for most Ken B. Jones Award winners -- the winner has come from the school on eight occasions, four men's and four women's.

Farabi is the fourth consecutive football student-athlete to earn the honors and second Gorilla to do so in three years. Football student-athletes have earned the award nine times in the 16-year history of the program.

Farabi, a 2007-08 finalist for the award, appeared on 11 of the 12 ballots cast and tallied 28 out of a possible 36 points. Northwest Missouri State's Joel Osborn and Missouri Western's Dustin Strickler -- both senior football student-athletes -- joined Farabi as finalists.

Lee is the eighth track & field student-athlete to earn the women's award, and fourth who also competed in cross country. She is the first winner to compete in both sports since Missouri-Rolla's Kate Hamera won the 2003-04 award.

A finalist for the Ken B. Jones Award in 2006-07, Lee was on 10 of the 12 ballots and had eight first-place votes to score 28 points. Washburn senior soccer/basketball student-athlete Jessica Mainz and Central Missouri senior track & field student-athlete Brittanie Roldan also were finalists.

The awards are named for the MIAA's first full-time commissioner, who retired in 1997 after 16 years of service to the conference. Jones passed away in May 2004.

A 12-member panel of athletics directors, sports information directors, senior women's administrators, and faculty athletics representatives ­ including a representative from each school ­ selects the winners. Consideration takes place in four areas for each nominee: 2008-09 Athletic Accomplishments, 2008-09 Academic Accomplishments, 2008-09 Campus/Community Service and Career Athletic, Academic and Service Achievements.

Balloting took place in late May. To be nominated, a student-athlete must have a 3.00 cumulative grade-point average as of April 1, and complete at least their junior season of eligibility in the 2008-09 season.

Women's Winner
Venessa Lee
Pittsburg State
Cross Country/Track & Field
Senior -- Cleveland, Mo.
Biology (pre-medicine)/Spanish double major
3.83 cumulative GPA

2008-09 Athletics Accomplishments: Earned NCAA Division II All-America honors with a third-place finish in the 800 meters (2:10.49) at the 2009 NCAA-II Indoor National Championships... After qualifying for the 2009 NCAA-II Outdoor National Championships with the second-fastest time in the 800 meters (2:09.29), she placed third in the finals (2:10.88) to earn All-America honors... captured a pair of MIAA titles in the 800m and the mile run during the indoor season... Captured the MIAA crown in the 1,500m and finished as the MIAA runner-up in the 800m during the outdoor season... In cross country, placed 64th overall at the 2008 NCAA-II National Championships, helping Pitt State to an 18th-place team finish... Placed 21st overall at the NCAA-II South Central Regional meet to help the Gorillas qualify to nationals.

2008-09 Academics Accomplishments: Graduated from PSU earlier this month with a 3.838 GPA with dual degrees in biology (pre-medicine) and Spanish... Has been accepted to the University of Kansas Medical School... Earned All-A honors during the Spring 2009 semester... Under consideration for ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America® honors after being named first-team Academic All-District... Qualified for the MIAA Academic Honor Roll as well as the MIAA Scholar-Athlete Team.

2008-09 Campus/Community Service: An active member of PSU's campus Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter, the PSU Honors College, the Beta Beta Beta (Tri Beta) Biology Honor Society and the PSU Student Government Association cabinet... A Special Olympics volunteer and a volunteer for the PSU Pre-Med Free Health Screening... Also a PSU University Ambassador and a student representative on the PSU Athletic Fee Council... Also served on the Student Government Election Board Committee, the Campus Smoking Policy Committee as well as the Student Recreation Center Advisory Board.

Career Athletics, Academics and Service Accomplishments: A three-time NCAA Division II National Champion in the 800 meters and a six-time NCAA-II All-American in the discipline... a 14-time MIAA Champion in distance races in track & field, as well as a 20-time All-MIAA performer... also an All-MIAA cross country runner... A 2007 USA Track Championships qualifier... PSU's all-time record holder in the indoor and outdoor 800m, the indoor mile and the indoor 1,000m... The MIAA record holder in the 800m as well... a multiple-time MIAA Athlete of the Week selection... the 2006-07 Ken B. Jones Award runner-up... A second-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America® in 2007... A multiple time member of the MIAA Honor Roll and MIAA Scholar Athlete program... Served on a mission trip to Brazil to build houses for missionaries during the summer of 2004... A five-year member of PSU's Fellowship of Christian Athletes chapter and a five-year Special Olympics volunteer... Involved with a Habitat for Humanity project during her experience at the 2006 NCAA-II Fall Sports Festival in Pensacola, Fla.... A five-year member of the PSU Honors College and a five-year volunteer for PSU's Pre Med Free Health Clinic.

Men's Winner
Caleb Farabi
Pittsburg State
Football
Senior -- Pittsburg, Kan.
Management major
3.78 cumulative GPA

2008-09 Athletics Accomplishments: Earned third-team NCAA Division II All-America honors as a running back from Don Hansen's Football Gazette... Named to the second-team All-Southwest Region squad from Football Gazette and Daktronics... First-team All-MIAA selection... carried the ball 260 times for 1,387 yards (5.3 yards per carry, 106.7 yards per game) and 14 touchdowns... also caught 32 passes for 298 yards (9.3 yards per catch) and one touchdown... Compiled 1,685 all-purpose yards (129.6 ypg) and scored 90 points (6.9 ppg) on the season... Helped the Gorillas to an 11-2 record and an NCAA-II postseason appearance (NCAA-II second round)... Ranked third in the MIAA in rushing and all-purpose yards and seventh in the league in scoring... MIAA Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 3, after rushing 26 times for 126 yards and four touchdowns against Washburn on Nov. 1.

2008-09 Academics Accomplishments: Graduated from PSU in December with a bachelor's of business administration degree (management major)... Named to the first-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America® squad for a second straight season (2007-08)... Earned All-A Honors during the Fall 2008 semester... Will be named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll as well as the MIAA Scholar Athlete Team when those squads are released later this month.

2008-09 Campus/Community Service: Participated in the PSU football program's annual YMCA Youth Football Clinic in August, teaching basic football skills to area youth... Also involved in the YMCA's annual banquet and Class LTD, an organization that assists persons with developmental disabilities... Involved with PSU's "Big Event" community-wide volunteer project where PSU students plant flowers, rake leaves, etc., for elderly community members... A member of PSU's Omicron Delta Epsilon society.

Career Athletics, Academics and Service Accomplishments: A two-time NCAA Division II All-American and two-time first-team All-MIAA performer (2007-08) Compiled 3,292 career rushing yards and 43 touchdowns during his four-year playing career (2005-08)... A two-time first-team ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-America® selection (2007-08)... A 2008 MIAA Ken B. Jones Award Finalist... A three-year member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and a two-year MIAA Scholar Athlete honoree... A five-year participant in the YMCA Youth Football Clinic... Also a two-year participant in the PSU Big Event city-wide clean-up day.

MIAA Ken B. Jones
Student-Athlete of the Year Award Winners

Men


  1993-94 Michael Obertop, SBU, Tennis


  1994-95 Bob Poisal, UCM, Baseball


  1995-96 Michael Dritlein, WU, Football


  1996-97 Aaron Christensen, UCM, Baseball


  1997-98 Brian Moorman, PSU, Football/Track & Field*+


  1998-99 Brian Moorman, PSU, Football/Track & Field


1999-2000 Jason Reinberg, TSU, Basketball


  2000-01 Matt Meyr, MSSU, Baseball & Clint Steiner, UCM, Football


  2001-02 Tucker Woolsey, NWMSU, Track & Field


  2002-03 Mark Eori, SBU, Tennis*


  2003-04 Tyler Paul, ESU, Football


  2004-05 Clint Prange, NWMSU, Track & Field


  2005-06 Josh Lamberson, NWMSU, Football


  2006-07 Ryan Meredith, PSU, Football


  2007-08 Nick Smart, SBU, Football


  2008-09 Caleb Farabi, PSU, Football


   



Women


  1993-94 Becky Wilson, UMR, Cross Country/Track & Field


  1994-95 Shally Lundien, MSSU, Softball


  1995-96 Jenny Pracht, PSU, Basketball


  1996-97 Deandra Doubrava, ESU, Volleyball/Track & Field*


  1997-98 Nikki Olberding, WU, Basketball


  1998-99 Julie Cobb, UCM, Softball & Deandra Doubrava, ESU, Track & Field


1999-2000 Leslie Dudley, PSU, Basketball


  2000-01 Emily Bloss, ESU, Basketball


  2001-02 Jeanette Mott, PSU, Cross Country/Track & Field


  2002-03 Sarah Wuertz, ESU, Track & Field


  2003-04 Kate Hamera, UMR, Cross Country/Track & Field


  2004-05 Sara Murray, TSU, Soccer


  2005-06 Kristin Anderson, UCM, Indoor Track & Field


  2006-07 Sarah Shearman, TSU, Volleyball


  2007-08 Michelle Stueve, ESU, Basketball


  2008-09 Venessa Lee, PSU, Cross Country/Track & Field

*=won as a junior +=unanimous selection