SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State's final set of year-end honors were announced today (June 14) with the awarding of the 2009-10 Outstanding Female Athlete Award and the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar-Athlete Award.

Soccer sensation Samantha Aguilar (Lenexa, Kan.) was awarded the Outstanding Female Athlete Award, as voted on by Missouri State's nine women's head coaches. She is the first soccer player to ever receive the award, which dates back to 1981.

Aguilar was named Missouri Valley Conference player of the year in 2009 after leading the Bears in scoring for the second straight season with five goals and 12 total points. She helped Missouri State to an MVC runner-up finish in the regular season and 12-5-2 overall finish, while earning First-Team All-MVC, MVC All-Tournament, MVC Scholar-Athlete and NSCAA All-Midwest Region honors.

The senior midfielder was named as the MVC Freshman of the Year in 2006 and was a two-time all-conference pick for the Bears. She finished her Missouri State career with 15 goals and 39 points in 78 games and ranked in the top six in four MSU career statistical categories.

Other finalists for the 2009-10 award were basketball sensation Casey Garrison (So., Bolivar, Mo.), cross country and track standout Terry Phillips (So., Kansas City, Mo.), volleyball defensive specialist Cara Hackmann (Jr., Washington, Mo.), swimmer Chelsea Dirks-Ham (Jr., Lawrence, Kan.), softball slugger Jenna Schwark (Jr., Broken Arrow, Okla.), and field hockey senior Melissa Lantz (Sr., Wildwood, Mo.).

Chelsea Ray (Anchorage, Alaska), an Advertising and Promotion major, is the winner of the 2010 Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar-Athlete Award. The award is presented annually to the graduating female student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average.

Ray graduated in May 2010 with a perfect 4.00 grade point average and also minored in Legal Studies.

She was the MVC three-meter diving champion in 2008 and has never finished outside of the top five in that event at the conference meet. She earned the Bears' Diver of the Year honor three times and was named to the All-MVC team every season. She was a three time qualifier for the NCAA Zone D Regionals and claimed MVC Scholar-Athlete laurels all four seasons.

The award is named for Dr. Mary Jo Wynn who retired in 1998 after 41 years at Missouri State, including nearly a quarter century as a senior athletics administrator. Ray is the third member of the swimming and diving squad to be honored with this distinction, joining 2002 honoree Erica Adams and 2009 award winner Cara Belcher.

Previous award recipients:

Outstanding Female Athlete Award1981    Stephanie Dutton, field hockey1982    Jennifer Seveland Box, volleyball1983    Lynne Strubberg, basketball1984    Jeanette Tendai, basketball1985    Kim Schwaab, field hockey1986    Terri Whitmarsh, softball1987    Kathy Crotty, volleyball1988    Marjorie DeMarino, field hockey1989    Mindy Struckhoff, volleyball1990    Susan Ruch, volleyball1991    LaWaynta Dawson, basketball1992    Barb Gaines, softball1993    Barb Gaines, softball1994    Melody Howard, basketball           Kellie Becher, softball1995    Melinda Sallins, track and field1996    Melinda Sallins, track and field1997    Michelle Baptiste, track and field1998    Lisa Davies, basketball1999    Verneta Lesforis, track and field2000    Jackie Stiles, basketball2001    Jackie Stiles, basketball2002    Cheasa Gibson, track and field2003    Courtney Phillips, swimming2004    Cheasa Gibson, track and field2005    Casey Owens, track and cross country2006    Tracy Partain, track and field2007    Sally Hinton, golf2008    Missy Linnens, golf2009    Jordan Hawkins, swimming & diving2010    Samantha Aguilar, soccerDr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar-Athlete1981    Diane Linneman, basketball1982    Stephanie Dutton, field hockey1983    Jennifer Seveland Box, volleyball           Diane Busenbark, cross country1984    Mandy Charles, track1985    Maureen Manda, volleyball1986    Lisa Einheuser, cross country-track1987    Marla Douglass, basketball1988    Julie Warren, volleyball1989    Mandy Struckhoff, volleyball1990    Pat Stock, volleyball1991    Karen Heman, field hockey1992    Charity Shira, basketball1993    JanaRae Abram, tennis1994    Melody Howard, basketball1995    Linda Shipton, field hockey1996    Jodie Schurle, track and field1997    Alissa Donaldson, field hockey-soccer1998    Michelle Witzke, volleyball1999    Cheryl Haslag, cross country-track           Lisa Davies, basketball2000    Lani Kim, volleyball2001    Jessica Gorham, softball2002    Erica Adams, swimming & diving2003    Rhonda Allen, cross country-track2004    Mary Litvan-soccer2005    Karen Hymer-soccer2006    Sarah Klaassen- basketball2007    Melissa Behr, field hockey2008    Carrie Vestal, cross country-track2009    Cara Belcher, swimming & diving2010    Chelsea Ray, swimming & diving