Murray Wins Ken B. Jones Award
Sara Murray, a senior health science major and women’s soccer player from Eden Prairie, Minn., was awarded the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association’s top honor bestowed on a student-athlete. She was named the women’s recipient of the Ken B. Jones Award at the conference’s annual awards banquet in Kansas City, Mo., in early June. Murray was the first Truman student-athlete to win the award since 1999-2000 and the first women’s student-athlete from Truman, in the 12 year history of the award.
She was not only the first Truman female to win the award, but the first soccer player in the league’s history to be awarded the top prize.
The Ken B. Jones Award has been given annually since the 1993-1994 season recognizing the top junior or senior student-athlete in the conference based on athletic accomplishments, academic accomplishments and community service. The award is named for the conference’s first full-time commissioner, who retired in 1997 and passed away last May. An 11-member panel, represented by each conference school, selects the one male and one female student-athlete.
Among other awards given out at the banquet by conference commissioner Ralph McFillen, the Bulldogs received the MIAA graduation rate achievement award for being the conference school with the highest graduation rate. Truman, along with the University of Missouri-Rolla each had a graduation rate of 71 percent, 13 percent higher than the average member MIAA schools student-athlete and 18 percent higher than the NCAA Division II national average.
Two Truman coaches picked up their coach of the year awards. Women’s soccer coach Mike Cannon added his sixth coach of the year award, while former volleyball coach Qi Wang picked up his third coach of the year honors.
She was not only the first Truman female to win the award, but the first soccer player in the league’s history to be awarded the top prize.
The Ken B. Jones Award has been given annually since the 1993-1994 season recognizing the top junior or senior student-athlete in the conference based on athletic accomplishments, academic accomplishments and community service. The award is named for the conference’s first full-time commissioner, who retired in 1997 and passed away last May. An 11-member panel, represented by each conference school, selects the one male and one female student-athlete.
Among other awards given out at the banquet by conference commissioner Ralph McFillen, the Bulldogs received the MIAA graduation rate achievement award for being the conference school with the highest graduation rate. Truman, along with the University of Missouri-Rolla each had a graduation rate of 71 percent, 13 percent higher than the average member MIAA schools student-athlete and 18 percent higher than the NCAA Division II national average.
Two Truman coaches picked up their coach of the year awards. Women’s soccer coach Mike Cannon added his sixth coach of the year award, while former volleyball coach Qi Wang picked up his third coach of the year honors.
