SPRINGFIELD -- Missouri State recognized a pair of the school's top female student-athletes Monday (June 25) with the announcement of its final year-end institutional honors for 2017-18.
Volleyball player
Lily Johnson (Sr., Wildwood, Mo.) was named as the recipient of the 2018 Outstanding Female Athlete Award, as voted on by the head coaches of MSU's 11 women's intercollegiate programs. Fellow volleyball standout
Brianne Dixon (Springfield, Mo.) was also announced as the recipient of the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar-Athlete Award.
The Outstanding Female Athlete Award makes Johnson the first four-time winner of the award after she was its co-recipient in 2015 and its stand-alone honoree in 2016, 2017 and 2018.
Since the award began in 1981, only four other individuals have won the Outstanding Female Athlete Award multiple times -- 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).
Other finalists for the 2017-18 Outstanding Female Athlete Award were: runner-up ad MVC Swimmer of the Year Sydney Zupan (Wildwood, Mo.), cross country standout Jessica Allen (Liberty, Mo.), all-region first baseman Kaitlin Beason (Webb City, Mo.), all-region soccer midfielder Mary Disidore (Lenexa, Kan.), All-MVC basketballer Liza Fruendt (Batavia, Ill.) and MVC Track Freshman of the Year Jamilah James (Scarborough, Ontario).
Johnson completed her outstanding volleyball career last fall, earning AVCA All-American honors for the fourth consecutive season as a third team pick, and being named the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-America® of the Year. She concluded her career with a school-record 2,293 career kills, and is one of 10 players in NCAA history with at least 2,200 kills and 1,500 digs.
Since concluding her playing career, Johnson has also been honored with the MVC's prestigious Charlotte West Award and the elite NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
Dixon completed her undergraduate degree in May with perfect 4.00 grade-point average in Cell and Molecular Biology.
She joined Johnson on the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team in 2018 as a third-team selection. She also earned the MVC Elite 17 Award for the third straight season and was named to the MVC Scholar-Athlete Team for the second year in a row. Dixon concluded her MSU career with 63 starts in 121 matches and 765 career digs.
The Wynn Award is presented annually to the graduating female senior student-athlete(s) with the highest GPA. The award is named in honor of the long-time Missouri State teacher, coach and athletics administrator, Dr. Mary Jo Wynn, 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
- 2017 - Lily Johnson, volleyball
- 2018 - Lily Johnson, volleyball
Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar-Athlete Award
- 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
- 2017 - Laura Ketzer, soccer / Shawna Elsey, swimming
- 2018 - Brianne Dixon, volleyball
