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May 4,
2009
Horn,
Shank and Llewellyn share Athlete of the Year Honors/DeVader Named
Humphrey winner Horn is senior from Coffeyville, Kansas and a transfer from Coffeyville Community College. In two years at Southern, Horn has placed himself on the map as one of the most dominant track athletes in the country. An All-American in the decathlon last year, Horn brought his efforts inside and finished third in the indoor heptathlon this past year. He was All-MIAA in the indoor season in the high jump, pole vault and hurdles. This past week, Horn captured the MIAA Decathlon title. Horn was second after day one of the meet after winning both the long and high jump and placing third in two of the other three events. In day two, Horn won the discus, shot put and the pole vault and provisionally qualified for nationals with 6,664 points. Horn also placed third in the javelin and shot put in day two and sixth in the 1,500m. A criminal justice and psychology major at Southern, Horn has consistently maintained a 3.0 GPA and his easy-going personality has made a team and fan-favorite. Shank and Llewellyn proved to be a tough decision for the committee this year, as both were more than qualified to be named the Female Athlete of the Year and in the end, both were deemed to be worthy of the title. Llewellyn, a native of O'Fallon, Mo., has been a four-year starter for the Lions soccer team. She has led the Lions in points and goals each year she's been at Southern and accounted for 50 percent of the team's offensive output this year. She scored five game-winning goals, with four of them in overtime. Llewellyn, coincidently had the game-tying goal in each of those four overtime games and accounted for nearly 85 percent of the team's game-winners this season. She was a unanimous first-team All-MIAA selection this year after finishing in the conference's top four in every offensive category except one. She is the all-time leader in Southern history in goals, total points and game-winning goals, and sits in third all-time in the MIAA's career goals list. An outstanding student, as well, Llewellyn was named to the 2008 National Soccer Coaches Association Scholar All-America Team. One of approximately 60 athletes in all divisions and the NAIA. Shank can arguably be called one of the greatest distance runners ever to wear a Southern uniform, and she's only a junior! She had one of the most dominating cross country seasons in Lions history this past year where she was named the MIAA's Runner of the Week four times. Consequently, that award was bestowed on her every week the Lions competed in an event. She helped the team to its third-straight MIAA Cross Country title and was the MIAA Cross Country Champion. Her accolades didn't stop there as the junior from Rolla, Mo., helped the Lions repeat as NCAA Regional Champs and was the runner-up en route to an All-Region performance. Shank continued her success, earning All-American status after running in freezing and snowy conditions at the National Meet. She finished ninth at the national meet, and was the Track and Cross Country Coaches South Central Regional Athlete of the Year. Shank continued her dominance in the track season where she was the MIAA's Track Athlete of the Week twice and was an Automatic Qualifier in the 5,000m run. She set the school record in the 5k and continues to break her own mark on regular occurrences. She was the outdoor 10k champion at the KU Relays earlier in the year and won both the 5 and 10k at this year's MIAA Outdoor Championships, leading the Lions to their second-straight outdoor title. A stellar athlete in the classroom, Shank carries a 4.0 GPA in health promotion and wellness. DeVader has been someone who has personified what it means to be a true student-athlete. Before she even enrolled at Missouri Southern, the Holton, Kansas native had had three different ACL tears and throughout the course of her five-year career as a Lion has amassed six different surgeries on her knees. Despite many, many circumstances that would have forced any normal person to just hang up their shoes and quit, DeVader pushed through and became one of the best three-point shooters ever to play at Missouri Southern. She ended her stellar career as a Lion, owning the school's career records in three pointers made and free-throw percentage. DeVader led the Lions in three-point shooting every season she played, and served as a leader on and off the court. Whether it be as a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee, The Catholic Campus Ministry, the Kinesiology Club or even serving as Mrs. Claus at the Lions annual Christmas Night with the Boys and Girls Club, Danielle has been the model student-athlete. She graduated with a degree in Kinesiology and is working on her second degree at Southern, this one in psychology, all while carrying a 3.69 GPA. |
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