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

Both Howard (Clarinda, Ia.) and Neff (North Platte) were finalists for the award last spring and recently repeated as UNK's Male & Female Student-Athletes of the Year. Howard was the 285 lbs. national runner up this past winter, earning the Top Scholar honor from the MIAA and NCAA while Neff again garnered first-team All-American honors for the volleyball team. Finally, both already graduated from UNK and are working on Master's degrees. 

All 10 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.