ST. LOUIS – Missouri State men's basketball guard Damien Mayo Jr. (Fr., St. Louis, Mo.) was one of 12 student-athletes selected for the Missouri Valley Conference's State Farm Good Neighbor Award for the 2022-23 winter season, league commissioner Jeff Jackson announced Tuesday.

Mayo played in 31 games this season with 17 starts and averaged 4.5 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 20.6 minutes per game as one of The Valley's top freshman standouts.

Off the field, he has been involved with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and the SAAC Diversity and Inclusion Subcommittee while participating in community service opportunities at The Kitchen, Ronald McDonald House and Bears, Badges and Kids.

Majoring in Entrepreneurship, Mayo has a 3.65 grade-point average and was named to the MSU Athletic Director's Honor Roll and Dean's List in the fall 2022 semester while recently being named as a Maroon and White Scholar-Athlete for the first time.

The MVC created the award in 2007 to honor the achievements of exceptional 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 12 student-athletes three times annually (fall, winter, spring), for a total of 36 honorees. Institutions select their State Farm MVC Good Neighbor Award honorees.
 


Previous Missouri State winners of the MVC State Farm Good Neighbor  Award are:
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
Fall 2011 - Ashlee Mason, So., volleyball
Winter 2011-12 - Christiana Shorter, Jr., women's basketball
Spring 2012 - Emily Beaver, Jr., women's track/cross country
Fall 2012 - Chelsea Voet, Sr., women's soccer
Winter 2012-13 - Jared Roberts, Jr., men's swimming & diving
Spring 2013 - Kimsue Grant, Sr., track & field
Fall 2013 - Caleb Schaffitzel, Jr., football
Winter 2013-14 - Bryonna Snow, Sr., women's basketball
Spring 2014 - Eric Straub, Sr., men's golf
Fall 2014 - Leah Reitmayer, Jr., field hockey
Winter 2014-15 - Tyler McCullough, So., men's basketball
Spring 2015 - Ali Trickey, Sr., softball
Fall 2015 - Tenaly Smith, Sr., cross country
Winter 2015-16 - Ibby Simcox, Sr., women's swimming & diving
Spring 2016 – Caroline Boone, Jr., women's golf
Fall 2016 – Shelby Harris, Sr., football
Winter 2016-17 – Brandon Weissman, Sr., men's swimming & diving
Spring 2017 – Alex Jefferson, Sr., baseball
Fall 2017 – Lily Johnson, Sr., volleyball
Winter 2017-18 -- Christopher Heye, Sr., men's swimming & diving
Spring 2018 – Claire Schwarz, Sr., cross country
Fall 2018 – Kaitlin Maxwell, So., women's soccer
Winter 2018-19 – Loretta Stelnicki, Sr., swimming &: diving
Spring 2019 -- Mikaela Mosquera, Jr., beach volleyball
Fall 2019 – Shelby Palmer, Jr., cross country
Winter 2019-20 – Taylor Beadle, Jr., swimming & diving
Spring 2020 – Alye Darter, Sr., tennis
Fall 2020 – Greg Washingtion, So., football
Winter 2020-21 – Abby Hipp, Sr., women's basketball
Spring 2021 – Madison Hunsaker, Sr., softball
Fall 2021 – Lillie Kaempfe, So., cross country
Winter 2021-22 - Samantha Roemer, So., women's swimming & diving
Fall 2022 - Alyssa Buchheit, Jr., women's soccer
Spring 2022 - Calandra Henry, Jr. women's track & field
Winter 2022-23 - Damien Mayo, Jr., Fr., men's basketball