Bekemeier Earns Mo State Outstanding Female Athlete Award
June 15, 2026 | Women's Basketball
SPRINGFIELD – Missouri State women's basketball standout Kaemyn Bekemeier (Republic, Mo.) has been named as the recipient of the 2026 Missouri State Outstanding Female Athlete Award, announced by MSU Athletics on Monday (June 15).
First awarded in 1981, the MSU Outstanding Female Athlete Award is presented annually to the university's top female athletic performer, as voted by the head coaches of the MoState's 13 women's intercollegiate programs.
Bekemeier earned All-CUSA first-team honors this season and was named the CUSA Tournament MVP. She was a four-time CUSA Player of the Week while helping coach Beth Cunningham's Lady Bears squad to a CUSA Tournament title and their 18th NCAA Tournament appearance.
During the 2025-26 campaign, the junior standout pulled down the fourth-most rebounds (295) and scored the eighth-most points (627) in program history and ranked No. 2 in the nation in rebounds by a player 5-foot-9 or under. Likewise, she became the 32nd player in program history to score 1,000 career points and now sits at No. 24 on the Lady Bears all-time scoring list.Â
After the smoke cleared on a 23-13 season, Bekemeier posted 32 double-figure scoring performances, 15 20-point games and 10 double-doubles, while averaging team-bests 17.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.Â
She is the 14th basketball player to earn this award and the fifth Lady Bear in nine years to be so honored, joining recent recipients Danielle Gitzen (2019), Alexa Willard (2020), Brice Calip (2021) and Lacy Stokes (2025).
Other finalists for MSU's 2025-26 Outstanding Female Athlete Award were (alphabetically): Tabitha Fox (cross country), Billur Gonlusen (tennis), Emily Koranda (softball), Julia Kristensen (soccer), Makenzie Kurre (swimming & diving), Olivia Rogers (track & field), Autumn Speckhart (STUNT), MacKenzie Steele (beach volleyball) and Anna Warring (acrobatics & tumbling).
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First awarded in 1981, the MSU Outstanding Female Athlete Award is presented annually to the university's top female athletic performer, as voted by the head coaches of the MoState's 13 women's intercollegiate programs.
Bekemeier earned All-CUSA first-team honors this season and was named the CUSA Tournament MVP. She was a four-time CUSA Player of the Week while helping coach Beth Cunningham's Lady Bears squad to a CUSA Tournament title and their 18th NCAA Tournament appearance.
During the 2025-26 campaign, the junior standout pulled down the fourth-most rebounds (295) and scored the eighth-most points (627) in program history and ranked No. 2 in the nation in rebounds by a player 5-foot-9 or under. Likewise, she became the 32nd player in program history to score 1,000 career points and now sits at No. 24 on the Lady Bears all-time scoring list.Â
After the smoke cleared on a 23-13 season, Bekemeier posted 32 double-figure scoring performances, 15 20-point games and 10 double-doubles, while averaging team-bests 17.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game.Â
She is the 14th basketball player to earn this award and the fifth Lady Bear in nine years to be so honored, joining recent recipients Danielle Gitzen (2019), Alexa Willard (2020), Brice Calip (2021) and Lacy Stokes (2025).
Other finalists for MSU's 2025-26 Outstanding Female Athlete Award were (alphabetically): Tabitha Fox (cross country), Billur Gonlusen (tennis), Emily Koranda (softball), Julia Kristensen (soccer), Makenzie Kurre (swimming & diving), Olivia Rogers (track & field), Autumn Speckhart (STUNT), MacKenzie Steele (beach volleyball) and Anna Warring (acrobatics & tumbling).
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