By FHSU Sports Information
Courtesy photo
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – On Tuesday (May 22), Fort Hays State junior defensive back Doyin Jibowu was selected as a finalist for the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association’s Ken B. Jones Award. The award recognizes the conference’s male and female student-athletes of the year.The winners will be announced at the 2017-18 MIAA Awards Celebrations presented by Husch Blackwell on Monday, June 4 at the Truman Forum Auditorium in the Kansas City Public Library’s Plaza Branch.
Jibowu, a native of Denver, Colorado, is one of five male finalists for the award, joining junior Brad Currier of Lindenwood (golf), senior Sedeekie Edie of Lincoln (track and field), senior Bo Farrow of Pittsburg State (football/track and field), and senior Brady Skeens of Washburn (basketball).
Senior track and field athlete Kelly Wycoff was the women’s nominee for Fort Hays State this year. A native of Scott City, Kansas, Wycoff holds a 3.75 GPA as a Health and Human Performance major at FHSU. Wycoff is an All-America and All-MIAA performer for the Tigers, who now holds four individual school records and two as a member of relay teams.
Jibowu earned All-America Honorable Mention status for the 2017 from the Don Hansen Football Committee. He was an All-Super Region First Team pick by both D2CCA and the Don Hansen Football Committee, while also receiving All-MIAA First Team honors. He finished the season with 62 tackles, including 7.5 for loss, with five interceptions, 14 passes defended, and two forced fumbles. Jibowu helped FHSU to its first MIAA Championship in football as the team went undefeated during the regular season at 11-0. The team made its first NCAA Playoff appearance since 1995 and finished at 11-1 overall. Jibowu served as one of the team’s captains.
Jibowu is not only impressive on the field, but also in the classroom where he holds a 3.56 cumulative GPA as a Management major. He was a CoSIDA Academic All-America Second Team selection this year at defensive back, one of only eight defensive backs in NCAA Division II to receive Academic All-America honors. He is now a two-time MIAA Scholar-Athlete Award recipient (2015 and 2017) for earning all-conference honors and maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher.
Jibowu serves as an FHSU VIP Ambassador, a prestigious group of student leaders chosen to represent FHSU at official campus events. Volunteer work with Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Special Olympics and FHSU youth football camps also highlight Jibowu’s impact on the community.
Female Finalists
Taylor Bevis – Junior, Central Oklahoma, Volleyball
Mikaela Burgess – Senior, Pittsburg State, Basketball
Diana Cauldwell – Junior, Lincoln University, Track & Field
Allie Heckemeyer – Senior, Missouri Southern, Track & Field
Abby Rhoades – Senior, Central Missouri, Soccer
Male Finalists
Brad Currier – Junior, Lindenwood, Golf
Sedeekie Edie – Senior, Lincoln University, Track & Field
Bo Farrow – Senior, Pittsburg State, Football/Track & Field
Doyin Jibowu – Junior, Fort Hays State, Football
Brady Skeens – Senior, Washburn, Basketball