MSSU's Martin, Bisotto named finalists for MIAA Winter Student-Athlete of the Year

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern junior student-athletes Cam Martin and Elena Bisotto have been named finalists for their respective Winter Student-Athlete of the Year Awards presented by the MIAA.

The award this year is being done in place of the typical Ken B. Jones Award that is given annually to the top male and female student-athlete in the league.

With the Covid-19 pandemic halting play in the spring sports, the MIAA instead is awarding a Male and Female Fall and Winter Student-Athlete of the Year with the same qualifications of the Ken B. Jones Award.







Martin and Bisotto are one of five finalists in their respective genders.

This season, Martin was a Finalist for the Bevo Francis Small College Basketball Player of the Year Award. He was a first-team All-MIAA, All-Region and All-America selection and a member of the MIAA All-Tournament Team. 

He led the MIAA in scoring, rebounds, defensive rebounds, double-double's free throw attempts, free throws made, total field goals made, total points and total rebounds, while ranking second in blocks, field goal percentage, total blocks and total field goal attempts. Martin averaged 24.1 points and 9.2 rebounds per game this year, while shooting 58 percent from the field and 81 percent from the free throw line.

He had a team-high 46 blocks and was third on the team with 61 assists and set the MSSU single-game scoring mark with 54 points at Missouri Western (the most points scored by a Division II player in a single-game this season). He is the only player in MSSU history to score 700 or more points twice in a single-season and currently has the top career scoring average at MSSU (23.3) and is third on the active D-II player list for that stat. Martin was named the MIAA Athlete of the Week seven times this year.

Bisotto was an All-MIAA pick in the indoor pole vault this year, finishing third at the 2020 MIAA Indoor Track and Field Championships. She qualified for her fifth NCAA Division II National Championships, but did not get a chance to compete due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Bisotto was ranked 7th nationally going into the National Championships with an NCAA Automatic Qualifying mark of 13 feet, three inches (4.04 meters) which she obtained at the MIAA Indoor Championships. She is a two-time All-MIAA and All-America selection.

Bisotto carries a 3.95 GPA in biology and has been a three-time MIAA Academic Honor Roll selection, while twice being named an MIAA Scholar-Athlete. Martin carries a 3.30 GPA in business and has twice been a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.

Throughout the year, Bisotto and Martin have helped their fellow Southern student-athletes in participating in various community service projects including helping out with the Ronald McDonald House and Big Red Shoe Run, various trash pick-up dates, volunteering with the St. Louis Cardinals Caravan, as well as helping out in the athletic department's annual Trick or Treat So Others Can Eat program - a canned food drive that helped fill the pantry of one of the local food banks for more than six months.

Other finalists on the men's side for the winter award include Brandan Ball of Fort Hays, David Kizan of Lincoln, Matt Malcom of Nebraska-Kearney and Levi Wyrick of Pittsburg State. Finalists in the women's award include Morgan Fleming of Central Missouri, Kacey Kennett of Fort Hays State, Tiara Schmidt of Nebraska-Kearney and Haven Lander of Pittsburg State.

A 15-member committee comprised of one administrator from each MIAA institution and the conference office ranked 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. 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. The winners will be announced on May 22.

MSSU student-athletes post success in the classroom

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

The Missouri Southern athletic department once again can boast about the success of its student-athletes as the spring semester grades have been posted.

The student-athletes at Missouri Southern have posted a cumulative grade point average (GPA) above a 3.00 for the fifth-straight semester.

This is the second year in a row the Lions have finished the year with a cumulative 3.16 department GPA. Fourteen of the 16 sports and activities it sponsors report a 3.00 team GPA or higher, with the remaining sports at 2.75 or higher. 

The volleyball team had the highest team GPA at 3.58, while the men's golf program had the highest GPA for men's programs at 3.32.

The numbers don't stop there as 199 student-athletes had a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better with 105 of them posting a 3.50 cumulative GPA or higher. Nine student-athletes maintained a perfect 4.00 GPA, while the department graduated 97 student-athletes in 2019-20.

The success for the department this year wasn't only in the classroom, but also in the field of play. The department had 23 MIAA Athletes of the Week throughout the year, including two National Players of the Week. Fifty-five were named All-MIAA, while 24 were named All-Region and multiple student-athletes earned All-American honors.

MSSU softball adds five transfers

(From MSSU Lions Athletic News)

Missouri Southern Head Softball Coach Hallie Blackney announced that five transfers will be joining the Lions for the program's 2021 campaign.

This is Blackney's second official recruiting class at the helm after taking over the role as head coach back in October 2018.

The five players join four incoming freshmen that include Independence, Mo. pitcher Kara Amos, Garden City, Kan. utility player, Grace Parrott, Garden City, Kan. utility player Yazmin Vargas and Adrianna Young, an utility player from Tulsa, Okla. For more information on these signees, click here.

"In addition to our returners, this 2020 class is a solid group who will help continue to establish a culture of excellence at MSSU," said Blackney.

The nine players join a Southern Softball team that was 11-9 during the 2020 COVID-19-shortened season with a roster that possessed five starters that hit above .330.

MSSU Softball 2021 Transfer Class

Leighton Withers

Withers becomes a member of the Missouri Southern team after two seasons at Ouachita Baptist University and a successful high school career at Harmony Grove High School in Benton, Arkansas.

Withers represented the Tigers in 52 games, starting 49 of them, in 2019. She posted a .227 batting average with 29 hits including nine doubles and seven home runs. She scored 25 runs while pushing 26 RBIs across the plate. She was named to the 2019 Great American Conference (GAC) All-Tournament team her freshman season after OBU went 1-1 in the tournament as the No. 8 seed.

The win was a 5-4 upset over No. 19 Southern Arkansas in the opening round. The win was secured by a game-winning home run in the eighth inning by Withers.

In the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, Withers started the all the Tigers' 21 games where she boasted a .302 batting average. She had 16 hits with three doubles, three home runs, five runs scored and five RBIs.

Prior to OBU, Withers represented the HGHS Cardinals. She posted a .480 batting average, a .580 on-base percentage with165 hits, 26 home runs, 142 runs scored and 135 RBIs. She was a four-time All-Conference player and an All-State performer as she helped the Cardinals capture the 2018 Class 3A State Championship. The team had three state semifinal appearances that included two 5-3A District Tournament Championships and led her squad to three 5-3A Conference Championships.

While at HGHS, Withers also participated in basketball and volleyball where she was All-Conference in both sports twice.

She is the daughter of Jennifer and Chad Withers and plans on majoring in business administration and marketing during her time at Southern.

Ashlynn Williams

Williams becomes a Lion after attending the University of Missouri-Kansas City the last two years and prepped at Midwest City High School in Oklahoma City, Okla.

While a member of the Roos, Williams posted a .294 batting average and a .400 on-base percentage.

Prior to Kansas City, Williams was an All-State catcher for the Bombers. She was also a four-time First Team All-Conference player as she was named the Class 6A-2 Defensive Player of the Year in 2016. Academically, Williams was named valedictorian at MCHS.

She is the daughter of Wes and Jojo Williams.

Shandria Jackson

Jackson comes to Missouri Southern after two seasons at Crowder College in Neosho, Mo. and a successful high school career at Vian High School in Sallisaw, Okla.

While at Crowder, she was a member of the Region XVI All-Tournament Team and led the Roughriders to the Region XVI Championship.

Prior to Crowder, Jackson represented the VHS Wolverines in softball, basketball and track. In softball she was a First Team All-Conference selection and academically was VHS' Valedictorian.

She is the daughter of Tania Choate and plans on majoring in health care administration at Southern.

Abbey Gann

Gann comes to Joplin to become a Lion after playing at Three Rivers College in Poplar Bluff, Mo. as well as a successful high school career in the circle at West Plains High School in West Plains, Mo.

While a member of the Raiders, she appeared in 29 games that included 23 starts. She finished her career with an 18-4 record with four saves. She maintained a 2.64 ERA over 138.0 innings pitched and tallied 187 strikeouts. She was named First Team All-Region and First-Team All-Conference for Three Rivers.

Prior to TRC, Gann represented the Zizzers. The four-year starter broke the school's record for total strikeouts with 608, and career wins with 72. She was a four-time First Team All-Conference selection, a four-time First Team-All-District selection, a two-time First Team All-Region selection and a Second Team All-State Selection. 

She was awarded the Most Valuable Player for WPHS her junior campaign that saw the Zizzers win their first district title and first Ozark Conference championship.

While at WPHS, Gann also participated in soccer as a defender.

She is the daughter of Penny and Gary Gann and plans on majoring in clinical psychology during her time at Southern.

Bailey Lacy

Lacy comes to Missouri Southern after two seasons at Highland Community College in Highland, Kan. and a successful high school career at Thomas More Prep-Marian in Hays, Kan.

While a pitcher for HCC, Lacy appeared in 25 games where she started in 19 games. She had a 16-5 record and three saves as she tallied 66 strikeouts for a 3.75 ERA over 115.2 innings pitched.

She was named Second Team All-KJCCC Pitcher. During her stint with Highland, she helped the team win the Regional Championship and a top-six finish at the NJCAA national tournament.

Prior to HCC, Lacy represented the Monarchs. While at Thomas-Moore, Lacy also participated in volleyball, basketball and softball. She helped pace the Monarchs to three regional championships and helped them to three state tournament appearances.

She is the daughter of Brian and Kerri Lacy and plans on majoring in elementary education during her time at Southern.