FHSU Sports Information Department
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA Network will stream the 2017 MIAA Awards Celebration presented by Husch Blackwell for FREE on Facebook Live beginning at 6:55 pm on Monday, June 5.
The MIAA is extremely pleased that Mr. Blair Kerkhoff, the award-winning columnist of the Kansas City Stars has agreed to serve as the emcee of the event.
The event will be held at the Truman Forum Auditorium in the Kansas City Public Library Plaza Branch and will include the induction of the MIAA Hall of Fame Class of 2017 and the recognition of the Ken B. Jones Awards (MIAA Male and Female Student-Athlete of the Year) finalists and the announcement of the two 2017 recipients.
In addition, the MIAA will present the Division II Award of Excellence, the MIAA Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) Mentor of the Year, the MIAA SAAC Cup, and the inaugural Commissioner’s Cup trophy for 2016-17.
Jon Inman is a finalist for the Ken B. Jones Award for the second straight year. He has impressive company as a finalist this year, joining Northwest Missouri State senior quarterback Kyle Zimmerman and Nebraska-Kearney senior linebacker Tyke Kozeal.
Inman put together another tremendous season on the wrestling mat, finishing as the national runner-up at 197 pounds with a record of 28-4 for the season. He earned All-America honors for the second straight season after a fifth-place finish in 2015-16 at 184 pounds. Inman closed out his career with the school record in win percentage, going 141-28 overall for a percentage of .834.
Inman carries a 3.83 GPA as a Justice Studies major and is a four-time Division II Wrestling Coaches Association All-Academic First Team selection. He is also a four-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient, earning All-MIAA honors and maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher all four years of varsity competition. He also has CoSIDA Academic All-America honors to his credit, the only individual in the history of Fort Hays State Wrestling to earn that distinction.
A 15-member panel of athletics directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletics representatives and sports information directors – including a representative from each member institution – select the finalists. Each nominee is judged in four areas: 2016-17 athletic accomplishments; career academic accomplishments; 2016-17 campus/community service; and career athletic and service achievements.
To be nominated, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average as of February 1 and must have completed at least their junior season of eligibility in the 2016-17 academic year.