KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Missouri Western’s Shi Qing Ong has been named one of five female finalists for the MIAA’s 2019 Ken B. Jones award.
Ong became Missouri Western’s first-ever finalist for the award that recognized the top Female and Male Student-Athletes in the MIAA. The recent graduate was a two-time MIAA Women’s Golfer of the Year. She was recently named second team All-American by the WGCA and was a three-time WGCA All-Region selection, a four-time first team All-MIAA selection and a 2018-19 Google Cloud Academic All-District selection. Ong won back-to-back MIAA Championship titles with her 2019 championship completing a run of five-straight individual event titles this past spring. Ong won 14 events in her four years at MWSU, a Griffon Golf record. She was also a two-time winner of Missouri Western’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year award and qualified for the NCAA Division II Women’s Golf Championships three times in her career.
The Female and Male Ken B. Jones award winners will be announced on June 3 at the MIAA Awards Show presented by Husch Blackwell.
The Ken B. Jones award is named after the MIAA’s first full-time commissioner and recognizes the conference’s top Female and Male Student-Athlete. Mr. Jones was appointed league commissioner in 1981 and the inaugural award, in his honor, began in the 1993-94 academic year.
Each institution may nominate one female and one male student-athlete. The nominees must have completed at least their junior season of athletics eligibility by June 1 of the academic year of nomination. A nominee must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average through the previous full semester term through February 1 of the academic year of nomination at the certifying member institution.
A 15-member committee comprised of one administrator from each MIAA institution and the conference office ranks each candidate based on excellence in three categories: Athletic Achievement in that academic year, Career Academic Achievements and Community/Campus Service during the Academic Year. The committee announces its five finalists 14 days before naming its winner at the annual MIAA Awards Celebration.
Female Finalists
Kylie Hohlen – Central Missouri, Senior – Volleyball
Brianna Schmitz – Emporia State, Senior – Track & Field
Renea Ambersley – Lincoln, Junior – Track & Field
Shi Qing Ong – Missouri Western, Senior – Golf
Ellie McDonell – Nebraska Kearney, Senior – Volleyball
Male Finalists
Landon Nault – Emporia State, Senior – Football
Brandon Ball – Fort Hays State, Junior – Wrestling
Grant Olsson – Lincoln, Senior – Basketball
Jacob Bartling – Nebraska Kearney, Senior – Track & Field
Levi Wyrick – Pittsburg State, Senior – Football/Track & Field
— MWSU Athletics —