|
For Immediate Release 28 May 2003
OVERLAND
PARK, Kan. – Southwest Baptist University has announced
its two nominees for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics
Association’s highest award, the Ken B. Jones Award.
SBU nominated men’s tennis player Mark Eori and women’s
cross country/track and field participant Karen Sancken.
On Tuesday, the MIAA announced Eori among three finalists
for the men’s award.
The award is named in honor of the man who served the MIAA
as the first full-time commissioner for 16 years, before retiring
in 1997. This is the 10th year for the award.
“These two athletes are excellent choices for the Ken
B. Jones award,” said SBU Athletics Director Jim Middleton.
“Each student-athlete has excelled well in the classroom,
in the community and, obviously, in their athletic endeavors.
This is a distinguished award that is the top award given
by the MIAA and we feel like we have two excellent candidates.”
Eori (pronounced ee-OR-ee) has been very successful in his
athletic accomplishments in the 2002-03 school year. He, along
with his doubles partner Andras Bori, won the NCAA Division
II Small College National Doubles Championship in October
of 2002. He is a team captain and helped lead his team to
the MIAA and North Central Region Championships. He helped
his team to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight this spring and
was named to the First Team All-MIAA, the Commissioner’s
Academic Honor Roll and was named an MIAA Player of the Week.
He and Bori received a Missouri Sports Hall of Fame Accomplishment
Award for their championship and is currently ranked No. 3
in the nation in doubles with partner Andras Bori (Top 10
named All-American).
Eori, a 6-5, 182-pound Economic/Finance and International
Business major, was 26-2 this season in doubles (4-0 in MIAA)
and was 18-1 in singles this season (5-0 in MIAA). He is currently
ranked No. 22 in the nation in singles, No. 1 in the region
in doubles and No. 2 in the region in singles.
The junior is a member of the President’s List, has received
a Dean’s Scholarship, was a member of the Commissioner’s
Academic Honor Roll and was named Academic All-MIAA.
As part of his community service this school year, Eori volunteered
for Share Your Christmas, volunteered for Intervention Ministries,
helped with the MIAA Canned Food Drive and he helps teach
tennis to the local youth.
Eori, who hails from Gyor, Hungary, has been named an NCAA
Division II All-American, is a two-time All-MIAA selection,
has been named MIAA Player of the Week twice, has received
a nomination for the MIAA Sportsmanship Award and was named
the NCAA Division II Midwest Region Newcomer of the Year in
2001. Eori was ranked No. 17 and 22 in singles in both his
freshman and sophomore year. He has twice been named Academic
All-MIAA and has been named to multiple MIAA Commissioner’s
Academic Honor Rolls. He has a cumulative grade-point average
of 3.78.
Sancken, a 5-3 junior from Garden City, has served the women’s
team as captain this season for cross country and track and
field. This season she was named a NCAA Cross Country Academic
All-American based on the
combination of her GPA and her high finish at the NCAA Regional
Cross Country Championships. She was also named to the MIAA
Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll for Cross Country
and the MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll for Track
and Field. She was All-MIAA in track in the 10,000-meter race
and was named to the All-South Central Region team.
The junior was named to the Dean’s List, the Trustee’s
List and is a member of Alpha Chi. She is an Academic All-American
in Cross Country and is a member of the Academic All-American
Cross Country SBU Women’s Team.
She has a cumulative grade-point average of 3.83.
As part of her community service she has been a substitute
teacher, has worked in the cafeteria and at banquets for students
and faculty and has coordinated team dinners, activities and
birthdays. She attends church regularly and helps with the
children in her congregation. She also helps lead team Bible
studies.
Sancken is a two-time team captain and has twice been named
an NCAA Cross Country Academic All-American. She has been
on two Academic All-American Cross Country Teams at SBU and
she holds multiple school records in cross country and track.
She is a multiple-time MIAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor
Roll member and has been All-MIAA in track in the 5,000-meters
and the 10,000-meters. She has a career winning percentage
of over 860 percent (1039-167 through the fall of 2002) versus
all cross country runners from all divisions of NCAA, NAIA
and junior colleges.
One male and one female are selected for the Ken B. Jones
Award, with the finalists invited to the MIAA Awards Banquet,
set for June 5 in Kansas City at the Downtown Marriott Muelhlebach
Tower.
An 11-member panel of athletics directors, sports information
directors, senior woman’s administrators and faculty
athletics representatives – including one representative
from each school – selects the winners.
Judging is done in four areas for each nominee, 2002-03 Athletic
Accomplishments, 2002-03 Academic Accomplishments, 2002-03
Campus/Community Service and Career Athletics, Academic and
Service Achievements. The student-athlete must also have a
3.00 cumulative grade-point average and have completed at
least their
junior season of eligibility in the 2002-03 academic year.
|
