ST. LOUIS -- Junior Will Creekmore (C, Tulsa, Okla.) has been named as Missouri State's recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference State Farm Good Neighbor Award for the winter 2009-10 athletics season, the MVC announced Wednesday (March 10).
Creekmore has started all 32 games this season for the 20-12 basketball Bears and was recently named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete First Team. He is averaging 8.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this season while making 52.2-percent of his field goal attempts, which ranks fifth in the Valley.
He holds a 3.73 cumulative grade point average in finance and completed the spring and fall 2009 semesters with perfect 4.0 GPAs. He was named to the Missouri State Dean's List, Athletic Director's Honor Roll, and was twice named MVC Prairie Farms Scholar-Athlete of the Week this season. In the community, Creekmore has participated in several team service projects, including the Miles for Myles campus fundraiser, elementary reading programs, and other initiatives.
In order to be eligible for the award, now in its third year, the student-athlete must be in good academic standing, must demonstrate good citizenship through good sportsmanship and significant community service, and must participate in a sport, during the season of recognition. The Valley will recognize 10 student-athletes three times annually (fall, winter, spring), for a total of 30 honorees.
Other honorees from around the league include Renee Frericks, Bradley, Women's Basketball, Sr.; Megan Neuvirth, Creighton, Women's Basketball, Sr.; Diedra Dirth, Drake, Indoor Track & Field, Sr.; Amy Gallagher, Evansville, Women's Basketball, Sr.; Amy Werkema, Illinois State, Swimming/Diving, Sr.; Kelsie Cooley, Indiana State, Women's Basketball, Jr.; Jacqui Kalin, UNI, Women's Basketball, So.; Malaikah Love, Southern Illinois, Indoor Track & Field, So.; Marisah Henderson, Wichita State, Women's Basketball, Sr.
Previous Missouri State recipients of the State Farm Good Neighbor Award include:
- Fall 2007 - Carrie Vestal, sr., women's cross country
- Winter 2007-08 - Amy Crowder, sr., women's swimming & diving
- Spring 2008 - Chris Playter, jr., baseball
- Fall 2008 - David Arkin, so., football
- Winter 2008-09 - Roxy Stiles, jr., women's basketball
- Spring 2009 - Jen Carr, sr., softball
- Fall 2009 - Terry Phillips, so., women's cross country
- Winter 2009-10 - Will Creekmore, jr., men's basketball
State Farm Insurance is a long-time sponsor of the Missouri Valley Conference and sponsors all 18 MVC championship events. Also, State Farm is a prominent sponsor of the league's television network and a sponsor of the Missouri Valley Conference's community outreach program, "Just Read!"
