KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association has announced its male and female finalists for the 2025-26 Ken B. Jones Award, presented by Summit Pointe Financial Group.
 
The Ken B. Jones Award recognizes the Association’s top female student-athlete and top male student-athlete from the most recent academic year. Named after former MIAA Commissioner Ken B. Jones, the 2025-26 academic year marks the 33rd year of the award.

Each MIAA institution may nominate one male and one female student-athlete for the annual Ken B. Jones Award. The nominees must have completed at least their junior season of athletic eligibility by June 1 of the academic year and 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.
 
Male finalists for the 2025-26 Ken B. Jones Award:

• Landon Boss – Emporia State University, Football
• Crew Howard – University of Nebraska Kearney, Wrestling
• Gabe Johnson – University of Central Oklahoma, Wrestling
• Cooper Scheck – Fort Hays State University, Golf
• Dylan Sprecker – Pittsburg State University, Cross Country/Track & Field

Female finalists for the 2025-26 Ken B. Jones Award:

• Rylee Lemos – University of Central Oklahoma, Softball
• Emily (Diercks) McCullough – Fort Hays State University, Cross Country/Track & Field
• Peyton Neff – University of Nebraska Kearney, Volleyball
• Isabelle Peters – Pittsburg State University, Track & Field
• Mia Rallo – University of Central Missouri, Golf

All ten finalists will be recognized at the 2026 MIAA Awards Celebration, hosted Monday, June 1, at the Nelson-Atkins Museum Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. The 2025-26 male and female Ken B. Jones Award winners will also be announced on stage at the Awards Celebration.
 
The MIAA Awards Celebration is open to the public. Individuals interested in attending the event on June 1 can RSVP here. The conference office will be accepting RSVPs until Wednesday, May 27.
 
Additional information on each of the five male and five female 2025-26 Ken B. Jones finalists is listed below. To view past winners and find more information about the Ken B. Jones Award presented by Summit Pointe Financial Group, visit theMIAA.com/KenBJones.
 
 

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Landon Boss – Emporia State Football Student-Athlete
Landon Boss was named a six-time NCAA Division II All-American in the 2025 football season, earning First Team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), the Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA), the Associated Press (AP), the Don Hansen Football Committee, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation, and Second Team All-America honors from D2Football.com. He was also a unanimous selection as a First-Team All-MIAA linebacker and was named the 2025 MIAA Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Boss, a 6-1 junior from Osage City, Kan., tallied 101 tackles in the 2025 season, which included ten sacks, 11 quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, two interceptions and a defensive touchdown.  He led the MIAA in sacks and tackles for loss while ranking second in the league in solo tackles and fourth in total tackles.  His 69 solo tackles were the fifth-most in Division II, while his 17.5 tackles for loss ranked sixth, and his ten sacks ranked 12th in the Division. Boss finished the season with ten sacks to rank fourth all-time on the Emporia State single-season list. His 18 tackles for loss on the season moved him into a tie with Greg Harvey (1993), Leon Brigham (1997) and Gerard Clemons (1998) for fourth on the Emporia State single-season tackles for loss list. He also tied Patrick Cook (1995) and Gerard Clemons (1997) for the school record with four sacks in a game. Boss was selected as Emporia State’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year for his athletic accomplishments in the 2025 season.
 
Off the field, Boss is a junior business major with a 3.72 GPA. He was named a First Team Academic All-American for the Hornets in the 2025 season. He also achieved Scholar-Athlete status by the MIAA and was named to the MIAA Academic Honor Roll.
 
Boss has helped the younger generation of student-athletes in his hometown of Osage City by running sports clinics and taking youth on guided turkey hunts in the area. He has led several High Five Fridays with the Hornet football team at various elementary schools in the Emporia community. He’s also volunteered at Osage City’s annual Smoke in the Spring BBQ festival and has stocked shelves at Corky’s Cupboard, a community food pantry in Emporia.
 
 
Crew Howard – Nebraska Kearney Wrestling Student-Athlete
Crew Howard finished as the national runner-up at 285 pounds at the 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championship. The fifth-year heavyweight from Clarinda, Iowa, was also a unanimous First Team All-MIAA selection after going 26-3 (20-1 against Division II opponents) with 19 bonus point wins in the 2025-26 season (10 wins by fall, six major decision victories, and three tech fall wins). Howard was ranked as the No. 1 or No. 2 heavyweight in Division II throughout the season and helped the Lopers claim the program’s seventh Super Region VI championship and a sixth-place team finish at the national championship. Howard was also honored as Nebraska Kearney’s Male Student-Athlete of the Year for his achievements this season.
 
Off the mat, Howard graduated Summa Cum Laude with his bachelor’s degree in business administration and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in business administration with a 4.0 GPA. He’s a five-time Academic All-American and an NCAA Division II Wrestling Elite Scholar-Athlete — an award given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA competing in the national championship. He also became the MIAA’s first-ever wrestling student-athlete to be named the MIAA “A Game” Scholar-Athlete in three different seasons (2026, 2025, 2024). Howard also received the “Outstanding Graduate Award” from the university’s business management department in 2025.
 
Howard is also an active member of Nebraska Kearney’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and has volunteered his time at several Loper Wrestling service projects throughout the 2025-26 academic year, including the Meadowlark Elementary Reading Program, landscaping at a local church in Kearney, and many more.
 
 
Gabe Johnson – Central Oklahoma Wrestling Student-Athlete
Gabe Johnson became a three-time NCAA Division II National Champion at 157 pounds at the 2026 NCAA Division II Wrestling National Championship, also winning the individual title in 2025 and 2024. The now four-time All-American was named the NCAA Division II Wrestler of the Year, the NCAA Division II Super Region IV Wrestler of the Year, and the MIAA Wrestler of the Year in the 2025-26 season. Johnson finished his senior season undefeated at 23-0 and was 49-1 in his final two seasons combined. The senior from Choctaw, Okla., ended his career as a Broncho with an overall record of 114-16 and is the owner of Central Oklahoma’s career tech fall record with 30 total.
 
Academically, Johnson earned his undergraduate degree in marketing in 2025 and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in business administration with a 3.81 GPA. He’s been named an Academic All-American by the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA). He’s also a five-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and a four-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete.
 
Johnson has been an active member of the Bronchos’ Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), helping organize and plan different events on campus throughout the academic year. He also participated in a student-led initiative to drive student attendance at sporting events on campus.
 
 
Cooper Scheck – Fort Hays State Golf Student-Athlete
Cooper Scheck is the first-ever men’s golfer in Fort Hays State history to qualify for the final rounds of the NCAA Division II Men’s Golf National Championship. He will compete in the 2026 national championship as an individual, May 18-21 at the Boulder Creek Golf Club in Boulder City, Nev.
 
Scheck was named an All-MIAA golfer in the 2025-26 season to become the first Tiger golfer to earn All-MIAA honors in three seasons. He enters the national championship as the No. 82-ranked golfer in Division II with a scoring average of 71.79, which is a season-best for the Tigers’ men’s golf program in the university’s Division II era. Through 11 events and 33 rounds in the 2025-26 season, Scheck has four top-five finishes, including winning the Hillcat Classic and tying for first at the Newman Invitational. He placed within the top 10 at six events and the top 12 at nine events. He posted 19 rounds at-or-under par this season, including eight rounds in the 60s and a season-best round of 66. Scheck owns the best career scoring average in Tiger golf history at 72.44.
 
Off the course, Scheck is a senior health and human performance major with a 4.0 GPA. He was recently named Fort Hays State’s Men’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year for his athletic and academic achievements. Scheck was named the “A Game” Scholar-Athlete of the 2026 MIAA Men’s Golf Championship, an award given to the student-athlete with the highest GPA competing in the championship. He’s a three-time member of the Association’s Academic Excellence Award, a three-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete, and a three-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll. Scheck was also the only MIAA male student-athlete to receive an At-Large Academic All-America honor in the 2024-25 academic year and has a strong change to earn the honor again this season.
 
Scheck recently presented his own research on the anatomical positions of the golf swing and best practices to prevent injuries at the Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (KAHPERD) Convention. He also assisted the university’s Health and Human Performance department in hosting its “Body Venture” exhibit, teaching elementary students about various body systems.
 
Scheck has also volunteered approximately 70 hours at the university’s Neuromuscular Wellness Center in the fall of 2024 before serving as an intern at the center in the spring of 2025. He’s also volunteered at the university’s Serena’s Sunflower 5K, Color Run, and Tiger Field Day. He assisted the Tiger men’s golf team for a day of service with the Habitat for Humanity of Ellis County, and has volunteered with events in his hometown of Dodge City, Kan., such as youth golf camps and Special Olympics events.
 
 
Dylan Sprecker – Pittsburg State Cross Country/Track & Field Student-Athlete
Dylan Sprecker is a decorated distance runner on the Gorillas’ cross country and track and field teams. In the 2025-26 season alone, he was named a six-time All-MIAA performer, a four-time MIAA individual champion, a two-time NCAA Division II indoor national champion, a two-time All-American, and has set two Pitt State program records. Sprecker opened the 2025-26 academic year with a sixth-place finish in the 2025 MIAA Cross Country Championship and a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Division II Regional Cross Country Championship. He then collected three MIAA titles at the league’s 2026 Indoor Track & Field Championships, where he was also named the MIAA’s Indoor High Point Scorer with 22.5 individual points scored in the championship. He went on to win two national titles at the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field National Championships, winning the men’s mile and helping the Gorillas’ distance medley relay team win the national title. Sprecker claimed his fourth MIAA title of the year at the league’s 2026 Outdoor Championships, winning the 1500-meter run and finishing as the runner-up of the 5000-meter run. His outdoor season continues into the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, scheduled for May 21-23 in Emporia, Kan. Sprecker is set to compete in the 800-meter and the 15000-meter runs for a chance to claim two more All-America accolades.  
 
Academically, Sprecker is a senior exercise science major with a 3.88 GPA. He was named the “A Game” Scholar-Athlete of the 2025 MIAA Men’s Cross Country Championship, an honor awarded to the runner competing in the championship with the highest GPA. He’s also been honored as a Second Team Academic All-American, a five-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete, and a five-time All-Academic selection by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
 
In his free time, Sprecker volunteers his time coaching a local track club, Salina Burn. He also volunteers at local high school track meets and is a TRiffc Event volunteer, where he provides therapeutic recreational therapy for individuals with disabilities.
 

   
 
Rylee Lemos – Central Oklahoma Softball Student-Athlete
Rylee Lemos was crowned the MIAA Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year in the 2026 softball season. The senior from South Coffeyville, Okla., also became a three-time All-MIAA selection and three-time Gold Glove recipient as an outfielder. In the 2026 season, Lemos is hitting an impressive .405 batting average with 77 hits, 71 RBI, and has scored 64 runs in 190 at-bats. She’s helped lead the Bronchos all the way to the NCAA Division II Super Regional Championship, which takes place May 21-22 in Joplin, Mo. The All-American outfielder is the Bronchos’ all-time leader in runs scored (250) and triples (24) and owns the program’s hit streak record. She ranks among the top 10 in more than 10 statistical categories for her career at Central Oklahoma. Defensively, the two-time MIAA Defensive Player of the Year has only made one error in four years (238 total games played) entering the 2026 NCAA Division II Softball Championship. 
 
Academically, Lemos recently graduated with her bachelor’s degree in human resource management with a 4.0 GPA. She served as the Vice President of the university’s Human Resource Management Club, and was recently awarded the Mike Ciskowski 4.0 Award at the university’s annual Stampede Awards. Lemos is also a four-time MIAA Academic Excellence Award recipient, a four-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, and a three-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete.
 
Lemos has been an active volunteer on campus and in the community, volunteering her time at a senior facility in Edmond and at a community home working with youth in local foster care. She also participated in a Make-A-Wish Softball Game, participates in “High Five Thursdays” and painted playgrounds at local elementary schools in Edmond. Lemos is also an active member of Central Oklahoma’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and is a member of the university’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).
 
 
Emily (Diercks) McCullough – Fort Hays State Cross Country/Track & Field Student-Athlete
Emily (Diercks) McCullough became the first Fort Hays State student-athlete and the 10th female student-athlete overall to win back-to-back MIAA Cross Country titles. McCullough won the 6k race at the 2025 MIAA Women’s Cross Country Championship in 20:57.80. She also won the title at the 2024 MIAA Women’s Cross Country Championship to become the league’s first back-to-back winner since Missouri Southern’s Kimmi Shank (2008, 2009). She also achieved All-America status in the 2025 cross country season with a 12th-place finish at the 2025 NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championship. McCullough was undefeated against NCAA Division II runners in the 2025 season up until the national championship race and was crowned the Division II Women’s Cross Country Central Region Athlete of the Year by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).
 
On the track, McCullough was named a five-time All-MIAA performer in the 2025-26 seasons and earned Second Team All-America status with a 12th-place finish in the 5000 meters at the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championships. She was crowned the MIAA champion of the women’s 10,000 meters at the league’s 2026 Outdoor Championships and will compete in the same race at the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field National Championships, scheduled for May 21-23 in Emporia, Kan.
 
Academically, McCullough has been named an Academic All-American in cross country and track and field combined. She’s also a six-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, a six-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete, and a three-time USTFCCCA All-Academic Athlete.
 
Outside her role as a student-athlete, McCullough co-founded and hosts the Little Cardinal Cross Country Camp, where she teaches fundamentals of distance running to youth, organizes practices, promotes teamwork and sportsmanship among participants, and hosts an annual meet. She’s also volunteered her time with the local Special Olympics State Basketball Tournament, assisting the Special Olympics Director with athlete and event coordination, while creating a positive and enjoyable experience for the athletes.
McCullough is also a volunteer distance track coach for the Plainville Recreation, where she leads workouts and provides instruction for youth, while also assisting in practices and meets.
 
 
Peyton Neff – Nebraska Kearney Volleyball Student-Athlete
Peyton Neff was honored as the back-to-back MIAA Setter of the Year in the 2025 volleyball season. She was also named a First Team All-MIAA selection and a First Team All-America selection by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The fifth-year from North Platte, Neb., led the Lopers 2026 squad to a share of the MIAA regular season championship and the MIAA tournament title. Nebraska Kearney finished the 2025 season with an overall record of 30-4 and made the team’s 26th NCAA Tournament appearance. Neff played in 113 of the Lopers’ 114 total sets in the 2025 season, averaging an MIAA-leading 11.2 assists per set while also averaging 2.7 digs, 0.7 kills, 0.5 blocks and 0.2 aces per set. She’s just one of five Lopers to reach 5,000 career assists as she ended her career ranking fifth on Kearney’s all-time career assists list with 5,315 total. Neff was also named the university’s Female Student-Athlete of the Year for her achievements in the 2025 season.
 
Academically, Neff recently graduated with her master’s degree in psychology with a 3.92 GPA. She earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the university in just three years, beginning her master’s program in the summer of 2024. Neff was honored as the university’s Psychology Department Outstanding Senior in 2024 and was also named a Psychology Department Ambassador. She’s a two-time First Team All-American, a five-time member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll, a four-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete, and a three-time MIAA Academic Excellence Award recipient.
 
Neff has also presented research at various conferences and associations, including the Midwest Psychological Association Conferences (2023), the Rocky Mountain Psychological Association (2024), the National Association of School Psychologists Conference (2026), the International Collaborative Research Symposium (2026), and UNK Student Research Day (2026). She’s completed over 400 hours of practicum experience and over 300 hours of professional development. She began additional coursework to apply for the Provisional Mental Health Practitioner License (PLMHP) after graduation and recently became a Registered Behavior Technician as of January 2026.
 
Neff also volunteers her time working multiple youth volleyball camps and clinics, and has committed to the AVCA Summer Ambassador Tour, which is a two-week-long trip to Africa with a group of volleyball players. The trip will include training and competitions against local teams, youth clinics, and community service/outreach.
 
 
Isabelle Peters – Pittsburg State Track & Field Student-Athlete
Isabelle Peters was crowned an NCAA Division II national champion and an MIAA individual champion in the 2025-26 indoor track and field season. The senior from Lindsborg, Kan., won the women’s pole vault event at both the 2026 NCAA Division II Indoor Track & Field Championship and the 2026 MIAA Indoor Track & Field Championship. Her top pole vault mark of the season — 4.42 meters / 14’6” — ranks No. 3 on the all-time NCAA Division II Performance list and is the second-best mark in Pitt State history. She became a two-time All-MIAA performer this season with a second-place finish in the women’s pole vault competition at the 2026 MIAA Outdoor Track & Field Championship, and will compete in the pole vault competition at the 2026 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships, hosted May 21-23 in Emporia, Kan.
 
Off the track, Peters graduated Cum Laude with her bachelor’s degree in physical education in December of 2025 and is currently pursuing her master’s degree in educational leadership with a 4.0 GPA. The one-time Academic All-American has also worked as a graduate teaching assistant for the university and earned the program’s 2025 Graduate Teaching Award. Peters is also the Vice President of the university’s Health, Human Performance and Recreation Club.
 
Peters also has over 100 hours volunteering as a track and field official for high school and junior college meets. She also volunteered 40 hours and has raised $2000 in scholarship funds over the past two years working a local car show fundraiser.
 
 
Mia Rallo – Central Missouri Golf Student-Athlete
Mia Rallo earned her third straight MIAA Women's Golfer of the Year and First Team All-MIAA honor in 2025-26 after averaging a team-best stroke average of 70.58 in 12 rounds and placing in the top five in four of her five tournaments this season. Rallo won the Grace Shin Invitational Oct. 6-7 in Edmond, Okla., and finished runner-up in the Central Region Fall Preview on Sept. 23 in Blue Springs, Mo., and the Midwest Classic Oct. 13-14 in Warrensburg. She is the first-ever three-time MIAA Women's Golfer of the Year honoree. 

Sidelined due to injury in the spring 2026 season, the two-time Women's Golf Coaches Association  (WGCA) All-American holds numerous Central Missouri women's golf all-time records, including most tournament wins (5), best career scoring average (73.94 in 87 career rounds), and the single-season scoring records for 2024, 2025, and 2026. She helped Jennies Golf win three MIAA championships, one Central Regional Title (202425), and finish as National Runner-Up (2024-25). Rallo was also the first golfer in UCM history to qualify for the prestigious U.S. Women’s Amateur in the summer of 2025. 

Rallo has also excelled in the classroom. She was named a College Sports Communicators Second Team Academic All-American in 2024-25, becoming the program's third Academic All-American, and has garnered WGCA All-American Scholar, CSC Academic All-District, MIAA Scholar-Athlete, and MIAA Academic Honor Roll accolades multiple times during her UCM career. She recently graduated from the university this May with a bachelor’s degree in health studies.

An active student-athlete on campus, Rallo has assisted with campus move-in day for the last two years. In addition, she has been part of a free golf clinic that Jennies Golf has hosted for young women each of the last two years. Rallo has also volunteered at multiple tournaments hosted at Mules National Golf Club for the last two years, providing on-course hole volunteering.