KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association announced the recipients of the 2025-26 Ken B. Jones Award at the Association’s annual Awards Celebration Ceremony, naming two student-athletes from the University of Central Oklahoma as the conference’s Male and Female Student-Athletes of the Year.
 
Central Oklahoma wrestling student-athlete Gabe Johnson and Bronchos’ softball student-athlete Rylee Lemos were announced as the winners of the 2025-26 Ken B. Jones Award on Monday night (June 1) at the 2026 MIAA Awards Celebration Ceremony, hosted at the Nelson-Atkins Museum Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
 
Presented by Summit Pointe Financial Group, the Ken B. Jones Award is named after the MIAA's first full-time commissioner and recognizes the Association's top Female and Male Student-Athlete annually. Mr. Jones was appointed league commissioner in 1981 and the inaugural award, in his honor, began in the 1993-94 academic year.

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.
 
The top five male and top five female finalists for the 2025-26 Ken B. Jones Award were announced on May 18. Of the ten total finalists, Central Oklahoma claimed both honors with Gabe Johnson named the Male Student-Athlete of the Year and Rylee Lemos named the Female Student-Athlete of the Year.
 
   
MALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Gabe Johnson — University of Central Oklahoma Wrestling
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 was undefeated at 23-0 and finished 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.
 

FEMALE STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Rylee Lemos — University of Central Oklahoma Softball
Rylee Lemos was crowned the MIAA Player of the Year and earned back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year honors 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. She was also honored as the 2026 NCAA Central Region Player of the Year and added two All-America accolades to her long list of career honors.
 
Lemos led the Bronchos all the way to the NCAA Division II Super Regional Championship series for the second straight season. The senior outfielder owned an impressive .404 batting average with 80 hits, 72 RBI, and scored 67 runs in 198 total at-bats. The now four-time All-American is the Bronchos’ all-time leader in runs scored (256) 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 only made one error in all four years playing for the Bronchos (238 total games played).
 
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).