June 21, 2016 SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State recognized three of the school's top female student-athletes Tuesday (June 21) with the announcement of its final year-end institutional honors for 2015-16.
Volleyball player Lily Johnson (So., Wildwood, Mo.) earned Missouri State's Outstanding Female Athlete Award for the second year in a row, as voted on by Missouri State's nine women's head coaches, while senior soccer player Molly Brewer (Springfield, Mo.) and field hockey standout Jessi Pope (Stafford, Va.) shared the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar-Athlete Award.
Other finalists for the 2015-16 Outstanding Female Athlete Award were: standout softball shortstop Erin Duewel (Sr., Lee's Summit, Mo.); NCAA track and field qualifier Marissa Kurtimah (So., Guelph, Ontario); All-MVC soccer performer Alix Opfer (Sr., Springfield, Mo.); golf sensation Stine Pettersen (So., Moss, Norway); Valley Player of the Year in women's basketball Tyonna Snow (Sr., Blue Springs, Mo.) and All-MAC field hockey player Liz Young (Jr., San Diego, Calif.).
Johnson became Missouri State's first two-time All-American in volleyball this season and is the reigning Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, posting 620 kills in 2015 for the second-best mark at MSU and fourth-highest total in MVC history. She led the league with 4.59 kills and 5.09 points per set, hitting .236 on the season with averages of 2.95 digs, 0.36 blocks and 0.30 aces per set.
The outside hitter became the first MSU sophomore to reach 1,000 career kills and concluded the season ranked 15th in Missouri State history with 1,115 career kills. Johnson had 20 or more kills in 17 matches, 23 kill-dig double-doubles, and completed a school-record streak of 36 consecutive matches with at least 10 kills. She ranked third nationally in kills and fourth in points in the final 2015 NCAA statistics.
Johnson, who shared the award with women's basketball player Kenzie Williams last year, becomes just the fifth student-athlete to win the Missouri State Outstanding Female Athlete Award twice. She joins fellow two-time recipients Barb Gaines (softball, 1992-93), Melinda Sallins (track and field, 1995-96), Jackie Stiles (basketball, 2000-01) and Cheasa Gibson (track and field, 2002, 04). Since the award began in 1981, no student-athlete has ever won the award three times.
The Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar-Athlete Award is presented annually to the graduating senior student-athlete(s) with the highest grade-point average. Brewer and Pope both completed their undergraduate degrees in May with perfect 4.00 GPAs. It marks the first time since 1999 -- and just the third time since the award began in 1981 -- that the two athletes have shared the award.
Brewer earned a medical hardship in 2015 after suffering a season-ending injury on the first week of team soccer practice. The redshirt senior was an All-MVC second-team selection in 2013 and 2014 after being named to the MVC All-Freshman Team in 2012. She has also been honored for academic excellence by the MVC, NSCAA and CoSIDA. Brewer enters her final season ranked fourth in program history in points (40) and game-winning goals (5), while ranking second in career assists (14). She graduated summa cum laude with a degree in General Business.
Pope started all 18 games for the field hockey Bears during her senior season and earned Academic All-MAC honors for the third straight season. She also claimed national academic honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association for the fourth straight season. She tallied five points with a goal and three assists in 2015 while helping the Bears to their first MAC Tournament appearance in four years. She also graduated summa cum laude with a degree in Psychology.
The Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar-Athlete Award is named in honor of the long-time Missouri State teacher, coach and athletics administrator who became the first female to be named as Missouri Sports Legend by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
#MSUBears
Missouri State Outstanding Female Athlete Award
- 1981 - Stephanie Dutton, field hockey
- 1982 - Jennifer Seveland Box, volleyball
- 1983 - Lynne Strubberg, basketball
- 1984 - Jeanette Tendai, basketball
- 1985 - Kim Schwaab, field hockey
- 1986 - Terri Whitmarsh, softball
- 1987 - Kathy Crotty, volleyball
- 1988 - Marjorie DeMarino, field hockey
- 1989 - Mindy Struckhoff, volleyball
- 1990 - Susan Ruch, volleyball
- 1991 - LaWaynta Dawson, basketball
- 1992 - Barb Gaines, softball
- 1993 - Barb Gaines, softball
- 1994 - Melody Howard, basketball
- - Kellie Becher, softball
- 1995 - Melinda Sallins, track and field
- 1996 - Melinda Sallins, track and field
- 1997 - Michelle Baptiste, track and field
- 1998 - Lisa Davies, basketball
- 1999 - Verneta Lesforis, track and field
- 2000 - Jackie Stiles, basketball
- 2001 - Jackie Stiles, basketball
- 2002 - Cheasa Gibson, track and field
- 2003 - Courtney Phillips, swimming & diving
- 2004 - Cheasa Gibson, track and field
- 2005 - Casey Owens, track and cross country
- 2006 - Tracy Partain, track and field
- 2007 - Sally Hinton, golf
- 2008 - Missy Linnens, golf
- 2009 - Jordan Hawkins, swimming & diving
- 2010 - Samantha Aguilar, soccer
- 2011 - Chelsea Dirks-Ham, swimming & diving
- 2012 - Casey Garrison, basketball
- 2013 - Nia Williams, soccer
- 2014 - Renata Sander, swimming & diving
- 2015 - Lily Johnson, volleyball
- - Kenzie Williams, basketball
- 2016 - Lily Johnson, volleyball
Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar-Athletes
- 1981 - Diane Linneman, basketball
- 1982 - Stephanie Dutton, field hockey
- 1983 - Jennifer Seveland Box, volleyball
- - Diane Busenbark, cross country
- 1984 - Mandy Charles, track
- 1985 - Maureen Manda, volleyball
- 1986 - Lisa Einheuser, cross country and track
- 1987 - Marla Douglass, basketball
- 1988 - Julie Warren, volleyball
- 1989 - Mandy Struckhoff, volleyball
- 1990 - Pat Stock, volleyball
- 1991 - Karen Heman, field hockey
- 1992 - Charity Shira, basketball
- 1993 - JanaRae Abram, tennis
- 1994 - Melody Howard, basketball
- 1995 - Linda Shipton, field hockey
- 1996 - Jodie Schurle, track & field
- 1997 - Alissa Donaldson, field hockey and soccer
- 1998 - Michelle Witzke, volleyball
- 1999 - Cheryl Haslag, cross country and track
- - Lisa Davies, basketball
- 2000 - Lani Kim, volleyball
- 2001 - Jessica Gorham, softball
- 2002 - Erica Adams, swimming
- 2003 - Rhonda Allen, cross country and track
- 2004 - Mary Litvan, soccer
- 2005 - Karen Hymer, soccer
- 2006 - Sarah Klaassen, basketball
- 2007 - Melissa Behr, field hockey
- 2008 - Carrie Vestal, cross country and track
- 2009 - Cara Belcher, swimming & diving
- 2010 - Chelsea Ray, swimming & diving
- 2011 - Katharina Voelkel, swimming & diving
- 2012 - Terry Phillips, cross country and track
- 2013 - Chelsea Voet, soccer
- 2014 - Emily Beaver, cross country and track
- 2015 - Andrea Beaty, volleyball
- 2016 - Molly Brewer, soccer
- - Jessi Pope, field hockey
