KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced its top male and female finalists for the Association’s 2023-24 Ken B. Jones Award, presented by Summit Pointe Financial Group.
 
The Ken B. Jones Award recognizes the league’s top female and male student-athletes from the academic year. Named after former MIAA Commissioner Ken B. Jones, this will be the 31st year of the award.
 
The 2023-24 female finalists are Melisa Becerra of Nebraska Kearney, Kate Dawson of Pittsburg State, Mackenzie Dimarco of Emporia State, Kayla Goodwin of Central Missouri and Katie Wagner of Fort Hays State.
 
The 2023-24 male finalists are Wes Ferguson of Nebraska Kearney, Braden Rose of Washburn, Reece Smith of Northwest Missouri, Mason Strader of Pittsburg State and Brennen van Breusegen of Central Missouri.

Each MIAA institution may nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the annual Ken B. Jones Award. The nominees must be completing at least their junior season of athletic eligibility by June 1 of the academic year, and must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average through the previous full semester term at the certifying member institution. The Ken B. Jones selection committee ranks their top five male and female selections using the following weighted system: 50 percent for the year’s athletics accomplishments, 30 percent for the student’s career academic accomplishments, and 20 percent for the year’s campus/community service.

All ten finalists will be recognized at the 2024 MIAA Awards Celebration on Monday, June 3 at the Kansas City Convention Center’s Music Hall in Kansas City, Mo. The female and male Ken B. Jones winners will be announced at the Awards Celebration as well. Individuals interested in attending the 2024 MIAA Awards Celebration can RSVP to the event here.
 
Additional information on each of the 2023-24 Ken B. Jones finalists is listed below. For more information about the Ken B. Jones Award presented by Summit Pointe Financial Group, visit theMIAA.com/KenBJones.
 
  2023-24 FEMALE FINALISTS  
Melisa Becerra Gonzalez | Nebraska Kearney Tennis
Melisa Becerra Gonzalez is a senior from Bucaramanga, Columbia on the Nebraska Kearney women’s tennis team. Becerra Gonzalez was honored as Nebraska Kearney’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year after leading the Lopers to the program’s first-ever MIAA regular season championship title. She received First Team All-MIAA honors from the 2024 season. She was also honored as the Central Region Arthur Ashe & Leadership Award winner from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). With an overall record of 20-5, the Lopers women’s tennis team advanced to the NCAA Division II Women’s Tennis National Championship “Sweet 16” for the first time in 12 years. Becerra Gonzalez enters the national stage on a nine-match winning streak and owns a singles record of 25-4. She’ll also team up with Narindra Ranavio in doubles competition. The duo enters the Sweet 16 with a record of 29-4, setting a new single-season school record this season for combined wins.

In the classroom, Becerra Gonzalez owns a 3.96 grade point average and will graduate this May with a degree in political science and minors in global peace, security and women, and gender studies. She’s been named an MIAA Scholar-Athlete and is a member on the MIAA’s Academic Honor Roll. Becerra is the President of the university’s Women Are Problematic (WAP) organization and is involved with the New International Student Orientation on campus which welcomes new international student-athletes each semester. Becerra Gonzalez is also a student assistant in the university’s library and is a campus tour guide for Hispanic-speaking visitors.
 
Kate Dawson | Pittsburg State Cross Country/Track & Field
Kate Dawson is a redshirt junior from Mound City, Kan. on the Gorillas cross country and track and field teams. Dawson collected All-America honors this past indoor season with a fifth-place finish in the 800 meters (2:09.18) at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships. She enters the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships this weekend (May 23-25) with the 15th-best times in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter runs. Dawson was a four-time individual MIAA champion in the 2023-24 academic year with first place finishes in the mile run and 1,500-meter run at both the MIAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships. Her top times in the mile (4:54.14) and 1,500-meter runs set new Pitt State records while her top 1,500-meter time of 4:22.65 is the fastest time in MIAA Championship history. Pitt State finished as the 2024 NCAA Division II National Runner-Up during the indoor season and enter the 2024 Division Outdoor National Championships seeking the program’s second national crown. Dawson was also the individual runner-up at the 2023 MIAA Cross Country Championship, leading the Gorillas to the team title. She also led the Gorillas to place 18th at the 2023 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship.  
 
Academically, the fourth year owns a 3.86 grade point average as an elementary education major. She’s been named a four-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete and a five-time USTFCCCA Scholar-Athlete. She’s been a member of the MIAA’s Academic Honor Roll in each season, each year. Dawson is an active member of numerous organizations on campus. She is the women’s group leader at the Pitt State Newman Center (Catholic Ministry), participates in the community’s local Trash Walk, volunteers at the local food pantry and assists at local track meets.
 
 Mackenzie Dimarco | Emporia State Soccer
Mackenzie Dimarco is a recent Emporia State graduate from Pleasant Hill, Mo. who made her mark on the Hornet soccer program. In the 2023 season, Dimarco picked up her second MIAA Offensive Player of the Year honor after leading the league in total goals, game-winning goals, points, shots and shots on goal. She finished the season with an MIAA record 23 goals, seven of which were game-winners, to go along with four assists and a career-high 50 points. Her 23 goals led all of Division II, her seven game-winning goals ranked second in the nation, and her 50 points ranked third. She became the MIAA’s new career leader in the 2023 season with 84 career goals and 179 career points. She also broke five Emporia State career records this season, becoming the Hornets new career leader in points (179), goals (84), shots (433), shots on goal (242) and game-winning goals (27). Dimarco collected First Team All-MIAA honors and First Team All-Central Region honors from the D2CCA and the United Soccer Coaches Association. She was also named the Regional Player of the Year and earned All-America honors by both organizations.
 
Dimarco graduated from Emporia State this past December with a 3.81 grade point average and a degree in rehabilitation. She was also named an All-America off the field, earning Academic All-America honors from the College Sports Communicators (CSC). She was also named an MIAA Scholar-Athlete and has been a member of the Association’s Academic Honor Roll all four seasons. Dimarco has been an active member of the Hornets SAAC and has spent time volunteering at local elementary schools and with youth soccer organizations.
 
 Kayla Goodwin | Central Missouri Track & Field
Kayla Goodwin is a redshirt junior from New Zealand on the Jennies track and field team. Goodwin collected a pair of All-America honors at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships as the national runner-up in the pentathlon and placed eighth in the triple jump. She was crowned a two-time MIAA individual champion after winning the pentathlon at the Association's 2024 Indoor Championships and the heptathlon at the 2024 Outdoor Championships. She earned five All-MIAA honors total in the 2023-24 seasons, also placing third in the triple jump and the 4x400-meter relay at the indoor championships and third in the long jump at the outdoor championships. She was also honored as Central Missouri’s 2023-24 Dr. Peppy Martin Senior Female Athlete of the Year. Goodwin enters the 2024 NCAA Division II Track & Field National Championships (May 23-25) with the nation's 11th-best heptathlon point total and the 15th-best triple jump mark.
 
Academically, Goodwin owned a perfect 4.0 grade point average while pursuing a degree in kinesiology. She was recently named the university’s Outstanding Kinesiology Student in Exercise Science for the 2023-24 academic year. She’s a two-time Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) and is an MIAA Scholar-Athlete and an Academic Excellence award recipient. She’s also been named to the Association's Academic Honor Roll each season. Goodwin is an active member of the UCM Athletics Literacy Team and has volunteered her time at local high school track meets. She also recently completed a 300-hour, unpaid internship with the Western Missouri Medical Cardiac Rehabilitation Center.
 
Katie Wagner | Fort Hays State Basketball
Katie Wagner is a point guard from Maize, Kan. on the Tigers women’s basketball team.  She collected the league’s highest honors in the 2023-24 season, being named the MIAA Player of the Year and the MIAA Basketball Championship’s Most Outstanding Player. She also received All-America honors from the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) and was a First Team All-Region selection by the D2CCA. Wagner was one of the league’s top scorers and led all shooters with 210 made field goals on 44.7 percent shooting in the 2023-24 season. Starting every game for the Tigers, Wagner averaged 16.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She also ranked second in the league in minutes per game (34.3), made free throws (122) and steals per game (2.3). She finished the season with 14 double-doubles, running her career total to 36. Wagner scored in double figures in 30 out of 33 games for the season with a season-high of 32 points in an early season win over eventual national champion Minnesota State. This season marked her third straight season scoring over 450, finishing the year with 569 total points. She now ranks fourth in career scoring (1,732 pts) and second in career rebounds (965) in the Fort Hays State record books.
 
Wagner graduated with her bachelor’s degree in accounting last December, earning magna cum laude honors with a 3.87 grade point average. She now owns a 4.0 grade point average while pursuing her master’s degree in business administration and was recently nominated as the Accounting Student of the Year by the FHSU Department of Economics, Finance and Accounting. She’s a three-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete and was named to the MIAA’s Academic Honor Roll each season.
 
Following her graduation last December, Wagner was selected by the accounting faculty for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship. Her tasks as a TA involve tutoring undergraduate students, proctoring exams, teaching supplemental instruction sessions, grading coursework, and assisting professors in research and data accumulation. She also completed an accounting/analyst internship at Koch Industries in Wichita, Kansas in the summer of 2023, where she learned and developed new skills through hands-on experience in the accounting profession. Wagner created a new deferred revenue schedule for the business she supported at Koch Industries and conducted balance sheet reconciliations, collaborated with a team on month-end closing procedures, and actively participated in identifying process improvements and cost-saving opportunities.
 
Wagner was nominated by FHSU Athletic Department and selected by the MIAA to attend NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Forum in Bethesda, Md. in April of 2024. She’s an engaged member of Encounter Young Adults – a Christian ministry affiliated with Celebration Community Church and has volunteered for the Night to Shine – a prom sponsored by the Tim Tebow Foundation, honoring individuals in the community with special needs. Outside of basketball, academics and her numerous volunteer commitments in the community, Wagner also partnered with Team IMPACT – a non-profit organization that matches children facing serious illnesses and disabilities with college sports teams.
 
  2023-24 MALE FINALISTS  
Wes Ferguson | Nebraska Kearney Track & Field
Wes Ferguson is a senior from Fremont, Neb. on the Lopers track and field team. He was recently honored as Nebraska Kearney’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year after being crowned the 800-meter national champion at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships. He was also named the Indoor Central Region Men’s Track Athlete of the Year by the USTFCCCA. Ferguson also broke Nebraska Kearney’s school record in the men’s 800-meter run with a time of 4:03.70 and was the anchor of the fourth-fastest 4x400 relay team (3:13.30) in school history. Ferguson enters the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships (May 23-25) with the top 800-meter time in the nation at 1:45.85. The now eight-time All-America was also recently named a qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials.
 
Owning a 3.28 grade point average, Ferguson will graduate this May with a degree in sports management. The five-time member of the MIAA’s Academic Honor Roll recently completed an internship with the UNK Athletic Department where he helped manage multiple sporting events on campus. He’s also an active volunteer in the community, helping raise money for the local Salvation Army, volunteering his time at the Crane River Theater and assisting with local track and field and cross country meets.
 
Braden Rose | Washburn Football/Track & Field
Braden Rose is a senior from Hutchinson, Kan. He was a defensive end on the Ichabods football teams and a thrower on the Ichabdos track and field team. The two-sport athlete was recently honored as the Washburn Ichabod Male Student-Athlete of the Year. Rose was the national runner-up in the hammer throw at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships, earning All-America honors with his distance of 22.00 meters (72-02.75). Rose was also the MIAA runner-up in the event at the 2024 MIAA Indoor Championships after throwing the eighth-best mark in NCAA Division II history of 22.42 meters (73-06.75), also setting a school record in the process. Rose also earned All-MIAA honors in the hammer throw at the 2024 MIAA Outdoor Championships, finishing second with a school-record mark of 65.59 meters (215-02) and third in the discus with a throw of 52.50 meters (172-03). Rose will enter the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor National Championships (May 23-25) as the No. 5 seed in the discus and the No. 7 seed in the hammer throw.
 
Rose owns a 3.53 grade point average as a biology major. He’s collected a combined 14 MIAA Academic Honor Roll honors between football and track and has been named an MIAA Scholar-Athlete four times in his career. An active volunteer on campus, Rose has volunteered his time working events at the Cappers Foundation and the Big Brothers and Big Sisters Foundation. He is also a Relay for Life volunteer and has worked a variety of youth football camps and high school track and field meets.
 
Reece Smith | Northwest Missouri Cross Country/Track & Field
Reece Smith is a senior from Garner, Iowa on the Bearcats cross country and track and field teams. Smith became a four-time MIAA individual champion after capturing the title in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2024 MIAA Outdoor Championships. He also earned All-MIAA honors as the runner-up of the 5,000-meter run at the Association’s outdoor championships. Smith enters the 2024 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships with the sixth-best 3,000-meter steeplechase time in the nation and the two-time defending national champion in the event.
 
Academically, Smith owns an impressive 3.95 grade point average while pursuing a degree in biology with an emphasis in biomedical sciences. He’s been named an Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators (CSC), an MIAA Scholar-Athlete and a member of the MIAA’s Academic Honor Roll. Smith has completed 35 hours at the local hospital. He’s also volunteered for various events on campus and in the community.
 
 Mason Strader | Pittsburg State Cross Country/Track & Field
Mason Strader is a redshirt junior from Holton, Kan. on the Gorillas cross country and track and field teams. Strader helped Pitt State sweep MIAA cross country, indoor track and field and outdoor track and field titles in the 2023-24 seasons. He also helped the Gorillas capture the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championship title – the program’s second straight indoor national crown. Strader earned All-America honors for the seventh and eighth times in his decorated career during the 2024 indoor track season, placing seventh in the mile run (4:20.14) and helping the distance medley relay to a fifth-place final (9:48.72) at the 2024 NCAA Division II Indoor National Championships. He’s currently ranked eighth nationally in the 1,500 meters heading to the 2024 Division II Outdoor National Championships. Strader became a 12-time All-MIAA performer and a five-time MIAA Champion in the indoor season by claiming track titles in the mile and the distance medley relay, while also adding All-MIAA honors in the 800-meter run and the 1,500-meter run at the 2024 outdoor championship. He set his fourth Pitt State school record this indoor season with a program-best time of 8:04.52 in the 3,000 meters. Strader also earned All-MIAA honors and All-Central Region honors in cross country, helping Pitt State to the 2023 MIAA Championship and a program-best 11th-place finish at the 2023 NCAA Division II National Championships.
 
Strader has proven to also be an All-America in the classroom. He’s currently pursuing his second degree from the university, owning a 3.87 grade point average as a technology major with an emphasis in construction. Stader graduated with a bachelor’s degree in architectural manufacturing management in May of 2023. He’s a five-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete and has been named the to Association Academic Honor Roll in every season. Strader is also an active participant in Gorillas the local Trunk or Treat event and volunteers his time working with the community’s trash pickup project. He’s also helped organize and boxed toys for Crawford County families in need for the annual Salvation Army Christmas Troy Drive, participated in a campus hotdog feed sponsored by the Kansas Technology Center for KTC students and instructors, and volunteered at local high school track meets.
 
Brennen van Breusegen | Central Missouri Baseball
Brennen van Breusegen is a redshirt senior from Columbia, Ill. on the Mules baseball team. He was recently honored as the 2023-24 Central Missouri Vernon Kennedy Male Athlete of the Year for his dominant baseball season. van Breusegen was named the 2024 MIAA Player of the Year after helping the Mules clinch their fifth consecutive regular season title. The Mules starting center fielder owns a .384 batting average through 54 games this season. He’s compiled a team-best 19 home runs to go along with 65 runs, 73 hits, 12 doubles, five triples, 61 RBI, a .800 slugging percentage, 33 walks, a .481 on-base percentage and 17 stolen bases. Hosting a 2024 NCAA Division II Regional Championship last week, van Breusegen helped the Mules capture the Central Region title and advance to the Super Regional, scheduled for May 24-25 at UCM’s Crane Stadium in Warrensburg, Mo.
 
In the classroom, van Breusegen completed his bachelor’s degree in digital media productions and his currently pursuing his master’s in business administration with a 3.64 grade point average. He’s been named an Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators (CSC), he’s a five-time member on the MIAA’s Academic Honor Roll and a two-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete. He’s an active member of UCM’s SAAC and has volunteered his time helping run youth baseball camps and has assisted in the advertisement display for football games. He’s also assisted in the organizing of events at Life Community Church in his hometown of Columbia, Ill. Throughout the 2023-24 academic year, van Breusegen also taught a public speaking class on campus.
 
ABOUT KEN B. JONES:
Ken B. Jones is credited for constructing the foundation for where the MIAA is today. Jones was appointed the Association’s first full-time commissioner in 1981 and served for 16 years (1981-1997). Under Jones, the MIAA began sponsoring championships in women's athletics in 1982 which included volleyball, softball, basketball, cross country, track & field and tennis. Jones was responsible for expanding the borders of the MIAA into the state of Kansas, adding the institutions of Pittsburg State University, Washburn University and Emporia State University under his watch.

As a result, the league's name was changed from the Missouri Intercollegiate Athletics Association to the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association, with the "MIAA" acronym being maintained. In addition to the three Kansas members, Southwest Baptist University, Missouri Southern State University, and Missouri Western State University joined the MIAA under the supervision of Jones. The 1989 addition of Missouri Southern, Missouri Western, Pittsburg State and Washburn is the conference's largest expansion to date.

Jones retired in 1997 and passed away in May of 2004. In his honor, the conference established the Ken B. Jones Award in 1994 to honor the league’s top male and female student-athlete each year.