Football | 5/21/2020 4:00:00 PM

May 21, 2020-Emporia State's Jace McDown, the leading tackler in MIAA football the last two years and an Academic All-American, became the tenth Hornet to earn conference Student-Athlete of the Year honors as we was named the MIAA Fall Male Student-Athlete of the Year.

The 2019-2020 MIAA Student-Athlete of the Year awards are given in lieu of the annual Ken B. Jones award due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. The MIAA's COVID-19 Task Force recommended an award that properly recognizes the top student-athletes from the fall and winter but not limit the spring sport student-athletes who were unable to finish their seasons.
 
McDown was named honorable mention All-American at linebacker for the Hornets. He earned First-Team All-MIAA honors last season. He finished the season tied for second in the MIAA with 95 total tackles and led the league with 58 solo tackles as Emporia State was ranked second in the MIAA in total defense and third in scoring defense. He was ranked 28th nationally in solo tackles.

He had four games with double figure tackles including a career high 15 against Neb.-Kearney. He had ten tackles with 1.5 TFL against Central Missouri. He was credited with eight tackles at Fort Hays State. He had a game high 13 tackles with an interception against Northwest Missouri. He recorded a career high 15 tackles against Neb.-Kearney. He had a game high 14 tackles with two for a loss at Pittsburg State.

The red-shirt junior has 231 career tackles in 33 career games, with 222 of them coming in the last two years.  He was named Second-Team All-MIAA last season after leading the MIAA with 127 total tackles, 79 solo tackles, and five forced fumbles. He was ranked third in the nation in forced fumbles, fourth in total tackles and eighth in solo tackles.

He was named Emporia State's Outstanding Male Student-Athlete of the Year in 2019-20 and was voted best teammate and most outstanding player on the football team by his fellow players.

The Columbus, Kan. native is a health and human performance major with a 3.98 GPA, McDown was named a Second-Team Academic All-American® by CoSIDA, a member of the MIAA Academic Honor Roll and ESU Athletic Director's Honor Roll as well as being named an MIAA Scholar Athlete last fall. He is also a D2 ADA Academic Achievement Award recipient and member of the Emporia State chapter of Chi Apha Sigma Athletic Honor Society.

McDown has been active with several campus/community service projects in 2019-20.  He helped with the Special Olympics Polar Plunge, gave out high fives at the start of the school day at several Emporia elementary schools, was a volunteer at the National Strength & Conditioning Association conference at ESU, volunteered to assist with Powerlifting meets at Emporia HS and Basehor-Linwood HS, took part in Emporia State's HornetFest in conjunction with the NCAA Division II Student-Athlete Advisory Committee Love2Play Initiative, is the social media manager and past vice president of ESU's chapter of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA).

The senior to be is the tenth Hornet to earn Student-Athlete of the Year honors from the MIAA and the third football player.  He is the first undergraduate to earn the honor for Emporia State since Deandra Doubrava in 1996-97.

The Ken B. Jones Award is named after the MIAA's first full-time commissioner. Jones retired in 1997 and passed away in May 2004. He was inducted into the MIAA Hall of fame in the inaugural Class of 2010. This is the 15th year the Hornets have had at least one of the finalists for student-athlete of the year in the 27 year history of the award.
 
A 15-member committee comprised of one administrator from each MIAA institution and the conference office ranked each candidate based on excellence in three categories: Athletic Achievement in that academic year, Career Academic Achievements, and Community/Campus Service during the Academic Year. A nominee must have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade-point average through the previous full semester term through February 1 of the academic year of nomination at the certifying member institution.

Emporia State Ken B. Jones Award Winners
2019-20 ^Jace McDown, Football
2018-19 Brianna Schmitz, Women's Track & Field
2015-16 Brent Wilson, Football
2009-10 Cassondra Boston, Women's Basketball
2007-08 Michelle Stueve, Basketball
2003-04 Tyler Paul, ESU, Football
2002-03 Sarah Wuertz, Women's Track & Field
2000-01 Emily Bloss, Basketball
1998-99 Deandra Doubrava, Women's Track & Field
1996-97 Deandra Doubrava, Volleyball/Track & Field

Emporia State Finalists for Ken B. Jones Award
2020 ^*Jace McDown, Football
2019 *Brianna Schmitz, Women's Track & Field
         Landon Nault, Football
2016 *Brent Wilson, Football
2013 Ben Carlson, Football
2012 Katie Mona, Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
2011 Allie Volkens, Women's Basketball
2010 *Cassondra Boston, Women's Basketball
2008 *Michelle Stueve, Women's Basketball
         Brian Majors, Baseball
2007 Michelle Stueve, Women's Basketball
         Andy Vogelsberg, Men's Track & Field
2004 *Tyler Paul, Football
2003 *Sarah Wuertz, Women's Track & Field
         Dontaye McCoy, Football
2002 Heather Leverington, Women's Track & Field
2001 *Emily Bloss, Women's Basketball
1999 *Deandra Doubrava, Women's Track & Field
1997 *Deandra Doubrava, Women's Track & Field/Volleyball
Finalists announced beginning with 2001 Award
*Award Winner
^Fall Student-Athlete of the Year due to COVID-19