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Outstanding Female Athlete Award
Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Award
SPRINGFIELD — A pair of standouts from the women’s swimming and diving team are the recipients of the 2022 Missouri State Outstanding Female Athlete Award and Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Scholar-Athlete Award as announced by MSU Athletics on Thursday (June 16).
NCAA qualifier Anna Miller (St. Louis, Mo.) was voted as the recipient of the Outstanding Female Athlete Award, while Hailey Rissinger (Fayetteville, Ark.) is the winner of the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Scholar-Athlete Award.
First presented in 1981, the MSU Outstanding Female Athlete Award is presented annually to the university’s top female athletic performer, as voted by the head coaches of the university’s 11 women’s intercollegiate programs.
Other finalists for the 2020-21 Outstanding Female Athlete Award were: Brice Calip (basketball), Abby Cavaiani (golf), Edna Dar (cross country), Steffany Dickerson (softball), Madison Meredith (track & field) and Grace O’Keefe (soccer).
This season, Miller competed at the NCAA Championships in Atlanta in the 100-yard freestyle, becoming the Bears’ first-ever women’s NCAA national qualifier. In addition to holding school records in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, Miller dominated at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships in her career, racking up 27 gold medals at the conference meet, including 11 individual titles.
Miller is the fifth MSU swimmer to earn the MSU Outstanding Female Athlete Award distinction, joining former honorees Courtney Phillips (2003), Jordan Hawkins (2009), Chelsea Dirks-Ham (2011) and Renata Sander (2014).
A two-time All-MVC diver, Rissinger earns the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Scholar-Athlete Award, presented annually to the graduating active female senior student-athlete(s) with the highest grade-point average.
The award is named in honor of the late Missouri State educator, coach and athletics administrator, Dr. Mary Jo Wynn, who became the first female to be named as a Missouri Sports Legend by the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2014.
Rissinger, who also landed on the MVC Honor Roll in 2021 and 2022, graduated in August (2021) with a 4.00 grade-point average and an undergraduate degree in Sports Management. She was part of two MVC championship teams during her two seasons with the Bears. She is the third swimming and diving team member to earn the Wynn Award in the last six years and the seventh Wynn Award honoree from her sport, joining Erica Adams (2002), Cara Belcher (2009), Chelsea Ray (2010), Katharina Voelkel (2011), Shawna Elsey (2017) and Allee Armitage (2021).
Missouri State Outstanding Female Athlete Award
1981 – Stephanie Dutton, field hockey
1982 – Jennifer Seveland Box, volleyball
1983 – Lynne Strubberg, basketball
1984 – Jeanette Tendai, basketball
1985 – Kim Schwaab, field hockey
1986 – Terri Whitmarsh, softball
1987 – Kathy Crotty, volleyball
1988 – Marjorie DeMarino, field hockey
1989 – Mindy Struckhoff, volleyball
1990 – Susan Ruch, volleyball
1991 – LaWaynta Dawson, basketball
1992 – Barb Gaines, softball
1993 – Barb Gaines, softball
1994 – Melody Howard, basketball / Kellie Becher, softball
1995 – Melinda Sallins, track and field
1996 – Melinda Sallins, track and field
1997 – Michelle Baptiste, track and field
1998 – Lisa Davies, basketball
1999 – Verneta Lesforis, track and field
2000 – Jackie Stiles, basketball
2001 – Jackie Stiles, basketball
2002 – Cheasa Gibson, track and field
2003 – Courtney Phillips, swimming & diving
2004 – Cheasa Gibson, track and field
2005 – Casey Owens, track and cross country
2006 – Tracy Partain, track and field
2007 – Sally Hinton, golf
2008 – Missy Linnens, golf
2009 – Jordan Hawkins, swimming & diving
2010 – Samantha Aguilar, soccer
2011 – Chelsea Dirks-Ham, swimming & diving
2012 – Casey Garrison, basketball
2013 – Nia Williams, soccer
2014 – Renata Sander, swimming & diving
2015 – Lily Johnson, volleyball / Kenzie Williams, basketball
2016 – Lily Johnson, volleyball
2017 – Lily Johnson, volleyball
2018 – Lily Johnson, volleyball
2019 – Danielle Gitzen, basketball
2020 – Alexa Willard, basketball
2021 – Brice Calip, basketball
2022 – Anna Miller, swimming & diving
Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Senior Female Scholar-Athlete Award Recipients
1981 – Diane Linneman, basketball
1982 – Stephanie Dutton, field hockey
1983 – Jennifer Seveland Box, volleyball / Diane Busenbark, cross country
1984 – Mandy Charles, track
1985 – Maureen Manda, volleyball
1986 – Lisa Einheuser, cross country and track
1987 – Marla Douglass, basketball
1988 – Julie Warren, volleyball
1989 – Mandy Struckhoff, volleyball
1990 – Pat Stock, volleyball
1991 – Karen Heman, field hockey
1992 – Charity Shira, basketball
1993 – JanaRae Abram, tennis
1994 – Melody Howard, basketball
1995 – Linda Shipton, field hockey
1996 – Jodie Schurle, track & field
1997 – Alissa Donaldson, field hockey and soccer
1998 – Michelle Witzke, volleyball
1999 – Cheryl Haslag, cross country and track / Lisa Davies, basketball
2000 – Lani Kim, volleyball
2001 – Jessica Gorham, softball
2002 – Erica Adams, swimming & diving
2003 – Rhonda Allen, cross country and track
2004 – Mary Litvan, soccer
2005 – Karen Hymer, soccer
2006 – Sarah Klaassen, basketball
2007 – Melissa Behr, field hockey
2008 – Carrie Vestal, cross country and track
2009 – Cara Belcher, swimming & diving
2010 – Chelsea Ray, swimming & diving
2011 – Katharina Voelkel, swimming & diving
2012 – Terry Phillips, cross country and track
2013 – Chelsea Voet, soccer
2014 – Emily Beaver, cross country and track
2015 – Andrea Beaty, volleyball
2016 – Molly Brewer, soccer / Jessi Pope, field hockey
2017 – Laura Ketzer, soccer / Shawna Elsey, swimming & diving
2018 – Brianne Dixon, volleyball
2019 – Ashley Childers, golf
2020 – Kaitlin Maxwell, soccer
2021 – Allee Armitage, swimming & diving / Jasmine Crawford, track
2022 – Hailey Rissinger, swimming & diving
