Junior Emily Matthews (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) has been named as Missouri State's recipient of the Missouri Valley Conference State Farm Good Neighbor Award for the spring 2010-11 athletics season, the MVC has announced.

Matthews compiled an 81.20 scoring average while competing in four tournaments for the Bears' women's golf team this past season.  She recorded her best collegiate finish, a tie for 26th, last fall at the Drury Shootout, and had a career-best 54-hole score of 238 in the spring at the Jackrabbit Invitational, shooting 80-76-82. 

She has maintained a 3.93 cumulative grade point average while majoring in communication sciences and disorders and completed both semesters in the past academic year with perfect 4.0 GPAs.  In the community, Matthews has participated in several team service projects, elementary reading programs, and other initiatives.  She also serves as her team's representative to the Student Athletic Advisory Council and is the lone athlete on the Intercollegiate Advisory Council, where she represents all MSU student-athletes. 

In order to be eligible for the award, 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 recognizes 10 student-athletes three times annually (fall, winter, spring), for a total of 30 honorees. 

Other honorees from around the league include Denise Jilka, Bradley, Sr., softball; Kyle Obermeier, Creighton, Jr., men's tennis; Allison Aguilera, Evansville, Jr., softball; John Navarro, Illinois State, Sr., track & field; Kasey Kahle, Indiana State, So., track & field; Eranne Daugharthy, UNI, Sr., softball; Mallory Duran, Southern Illinois, Sr., softball; Brian Beachum, Wichita State, Sr., track & field.

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
• Spring 2010 - Scott Glenn, Jr., men's golf 
• Fall 2010 - Heath Melugin, Jr., men's soccer
• Winter 2010-11 - Rene Smith, Sr., women's swimming & diving
• Spring 2011 - Emily Matthews, Jr., women's golf

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!"