KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- SBU's Nick Smart has won the Ken B. Jones Award for MIAA Male Student-Athlete of the Year presented on Thursday (May 29) at the Downtown Marriott Hotel's Count Basie Ballroom.
Smart joined two other Bearcats who have won the award. SBU's Michael Obertop (tennis) won the first Ken B. Jones Award in 1993-94, while SBU's Mark Eori (tennis) claimed it in 2002-03.
During the 2007 season, Smart broke the NCAA all-division record for single-season receptions. Smart caught 143 passes for the Bearcats during the 2007 season, which broke the 1989 NCAA all-division record of 142, set by Manny Hazzard of the run-and-shoot Houston Cougars.
In addition to his record-setting year in receptions (143), Smart was #3 nationally in receiving yards per game (114.8).
At the conclusion of the season, Smart was named first-team All-MIAA, first-team all-region, first-team Football Gazette All-America, second-team Daktronics All-America, honorable mention D2football.com All-America, and he participated in the Cactus Bowl and East Coast Bowl senior all-star games.
Smart, who graduated Summa Cum Laude with a double major in accounting and economics / finance, was named on the MIAA Commissioner's Academic Honor Roll. He will be named on the Academic All-MIAA team. He was a second-team CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District selection.
Pictured in the photo below are Ken B. Jones finalists (from left) Caleb Farabi (PSU), Nick Smart (SBU), Michelle Stueve (ESU), and Jessica Selby-Tallman (MSSU). Photo taken by Matt Newbery, of the MIAA.
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| Ken B. Jones Finalists |
