Southeast honors flawless classwork

Derek Winans, Jen Cross, Jen Burke and Kim Krieger all distinguished themselves as impressive Southeast Missouri State athletes over the past four years.

But those four took just as much, if not more, pride in their classroom work -- and it showed.

Tuesday night, they earned the top individual honors during Southeast's annual All Sports Year End Celebration at the Show Me Center. The event was sponsored by Southeast Missouri Hospital.

Winans won the Jewel Award, while Cross, Burke and Krieger shared the Trombetta Award, given each year to the graduating senior male and female athletes with the highest grade point averages for their career.

"It means a lot to me. It's a great honor," Winans said.

Winans actually had to take a back seat to his three female counterparts, who all finished their Southeast undergraduate careers with perfect 4.0 grade point averages.

Winans, a Shawnee (Ill.) High School product, compiled only a 3.977 GPA, in the field of business management. That's because he had one grade of 'B' during his Southeast career. Everything else was an 'A'.

"I messed up in one class," a laughing Winans said.

Winans more than made up for that on the court. The guard, a four-year starter, finished his basketball career as the fifth-leading scorer in the program's history, and he also ended as the career 3-point leader.

"I had a great time playing basketball here, and I'll miss it," Winans said. "But I'll be playing plenty of pickup games. I'm sure I'll be playing until I can't play any more."

Winans, who has accepted a position in online sales management at Blackwell-Baldwin Automobile in Dexter, Mo., upon his graduation later this month, said academics was always a top priority for him.

"Ever since I was little, I took it as a challenge," said Winans, the school's only Academic All-American in basketball who was a two-time selection and made the first-team this year. "I really wanted to do well in both sports and academics."

The same holds true for the three female student-athletes honored Tuesday night as they all compiled perfect academic records.

Cross, a special education major who is currently student-teaching in her home town of St. Louis, said of her 4.0 GPA, "It's an honor. Academics have always been very important. I contribute it to my teachers, and also my coaches."

Cross, a soccer player at Southeast, suffered through an injury-plagued career for the Redhawks, but when she was on the field she excelled, earning all-Ohio Valley Conference honors.

"It was frustrating, being injured, but I think it's made me stronger," said Cross, another Academic All-American who is Southeast's NCAA Woman of the Year nominee and is contemplating attending graduate school.

Burke, a middle-distance runner for the Southeast track team who has also competed in cross country, has been a multiple all-OVC performer.

"I'm proud of this honor," she said. "I didn't initially set out to have a 4.0, but each semester it became more of a challenge to keep it up. It became a goal after a while."

Burke, a native of Wright City, Mo., actually graduated from Southeast in three years, during the summer of 2003, with a degree in health management. She is currently pursuing a master's in nutrition and exercise science, and she would eventually like to attend medical school.

But first, Burke -- yet another Academic All-American -- hopes to help lead the injury-riddled Southeast women's track team to another OVC title this weekend.

"I've been running well and I think we can win it again," she said.

Krieger, also a key member of the track and cross country teams during her Southeast career, agrees with Burke in that she believes the Redhawks will bring home their third consecutive OVC outdoor title, to go along with two straight indoor conference crowns.

And Krieger, who has been injured the entire outdoor season -- she has suffered through a multitude of injuries at Southeast -- hopes to contribute valuable points as she will compete in the 10,000-meters this weekend for her first action this year.

"I'm hoping to help out so we can hopefully win another title," she said.

Krieger, from Union, Mo., earned her 4.0 GPA in education.

"I'm proud of it, and this is a great honor," said Krieger, who plans to begin work next year on a master's in athletic administration. "It was pretty tough [to reach a perfect GPA], but it's definitely something that can be done if you work hard."

Also recognized Tuesday was sophomore football player Edgar Jones, the NCAA Foundation Leadership winner who has been selected to attend the 2005 NCAA Leadership Conference in Orlando, Fla.

Jones will join more than 300 student-athletes who have been tabbed as current or future leaders on their college campuses and were selected from a pool of more than 1,175 nominees.

Participants will attend the conference to discuss key issues in intercollegiate athletics and to enhance their leadership skills.

Basketball player Tiffanne Ryan, track athlete Taryn Phillips and baseball player Matt Carter were recognized as Foundation Leadership finalists.

Awards were presented for each of the men's and women's sports at Southeast.

SOUTHEAST AWARDS

Following are the individual sport awards from Tuesday's Southeast Missouri State University All Sports Year End Celebration:

FOOTBALL

Goddard Award (highest GPA, lineman): Dan Bieg

Vogelsang Award (MVP): David Taufoou (back), Dan Connolly (lineman)

Ken Hargens Award (top defensive back/linebacker): Kellin White

Hamby Award (highest GPA): Matt Boyack

Kenneth Knox Award (top defensive lineman): Adam Jones

Golden Helmet Award (most tackles): O.J. Turner

KZIM MVP Award: Dan Connolly

All-OVC: Ray Goodson, Dan Bieg, David Simonhoff

All-American: Ray Goodson, David Simonhoff

VOLLEYBALL

Pursuit of Excellence Award: Linden Hahs

Howard's MVP Award: Lauren Scannell

SOCCER

Howard's MVP Award: Heather Reding

All-OVC: Heather Reding

WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

Howard's MVP Award: Jen Caywood

MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY

KZIM MVP Award: Brian Whitehead

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Tammy Hoffmeister Award (most inspirational): Aisha Moreno

Hoover Award (academica/athletics): Tiffanne Ryan

Susan Guidicy Award (MVP): Tatiana Conceicao

Howard's MVP Award: Chandra Brown

All-OVC: Tatiana Conceicao

OVC Player of the Year: Tatiana Conceicao

MEN'S BASKETBALL

C.P. Harris Award (outstanding player): Dainmon Gonner

Cecil Tate Award (outstanding defensive player): Terrick Willoughby

KZIM MVP Award: Reggie Golson

All-OVC: Dainmon Gonner

GYMNASTICS

Howard's MVP Award: Tara Boldt

All-Midwest Independent: Tara Boldt, Katie Bloom

Midwest Independent Co-Athlete of the Year: Tara Boldt

Midwest Independent Co-Newcomer of the Year: Allison Ezell

NCAA Regional Qualifiers: Tara Boldt, Katie Bloom

WOMEN'S INDOOR TRACK

Howard's MVP Award: (field) Kathy Coleman, (track) Brooke Woodruff

All-OVC: Kathy Coleman (2), Brooke Woodruff (2), Lindsay Zeiler (2), Taryn Phillips, Jen Burke

OVC Indoor Athletes of the Year: (field) Kathy Coleman, (track) Brooke Woodruff

OVC Indoor Freshman of the Year: Kathy Coleman

OVC Indoor Athlete of the Championship: Kathy Coleman

MEN'S INDOOR TRACK

KZIM MVP Award: (field) Brian Knippen, (track) Miles Smith

All-OVC: Miles Smith (2), Brian Knippen, Daniel Jones, Walter Washington, Alonzo Nelson, Chaz Brown

OVC Indoor Athletes of the Year: (field) Brian Knippen, (track) Miles Smith

NCAA Regional qualifier: Miles Smith

BASEBALL

All awards to be determined after the season

SOFTBALL

All awards to be determined after the season

GOLF

KZIM MVP Award: Matt Hillis

All-OVC: Matt Hillis

TENNIS

Howard's MVP Award: Bryce Kristal

WOMEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK

Howard's MVP Award: (field) Kathy Coleman, (track) Brooke Woodruff

All other awards to be determined after the season

MEN'S OUTDOOR TRACK

KZIM MVP Award: (field) Brian Knippen, (track) Miles Smith

All other awards to be determined after the season

CHEERLEADERS

Howard's MVP Award: Lindsay Smith

KZIM MVP Award: T.J. Moore

SUNDANCERS

Howard's MVP Award: Ashley Coffey

TRAINERS

Howard's MVP Award: Holly Renshaw

KZIM MVP Award: Takuro Yamada